Kitchen Slave to the Phantom Troupe
by oceanwaves101
Summary: Kailani, a wandering cook ends up one night catching the phantom troupe in the act of robbing a nearby store. Before she can do anything Chrollo ends up kidnapping her and calling her his "Pet bird?" Because of a bet she ends up being stuck as the cook for the notorious criminal group, but she has secrets of her own that she want's to hide from the thieves. Citrus's and other stuff
1. Prologue

**A/N: 09-26-18 I went back and changed the pov from 2nd to 1st so it is now more consistent. Sorry to disappoint those who like 2nd pov stories. I shuffled the wording just slightly, but the plot remains unchanged.**

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 **Content Warnings: Swearing, hints of starvation, and mild peril**

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 **Chapter 1: Prologue**

My name's Kailani but my friends call me Kai, that is if I had any friends, and I am 15 years old. I have mousy flat, light golden brown hair that is close to waist length which lacks dimension and texture. I have really crappy eyesight from staring at the sun too much as a kid, so I can't see anything without my glasses. Humming cheerfully to myself I walk down a path munching on my prized spider eagle egg that I had managed to snag a while back. Lost in my thoughts about my past in Meteor City and not paying attention, I end up tripping over a body lying in the middle of the path.

"Oww… What the hell?"

I look down just in time to see what's left of my egg fly into the dead body's mouth.

"AH! My egg!" I look down sad. _Well I can't eat that anymore_. I think to myself, lost in my thoughts and mourning the loss of the egg I don't notice the dead body underneath me start to chew and come to life.

"Hey, Onee-chan this is really, really good! Where did you get this? I thought it would just be a boring hard-boiled egg." Green eyes look up into my shocked, wide blue-grey ones. Jumping back 100 feet, frightened, behind a tree I hesitantly glance at what I believe to be a zombie.

"Gosh why does this stuff always happen to me when I am eating?"

I mutter falling into gloom and despair thinking I will be the next dish. Thinking of all my options to get out of this mess, I decide to be a coward and run away as fast as possible. Booking it down the road as fast as my legs and lungs can carry me. I stop when I hear the zombie call out to me.

"Wait Onee-chan!" I stop in mid-step and turn around a confused expression written all over my face.

"Huh?" I say puzzled. _I thought zombies could only say 'Brains'_ I think to myself.

"Hey kid." I call out hesitantly. "You're not a zombie are you?"

"A zombie!? Where'd you get an idea like that?" The kid who isn't an undead wrinkles her nose at me.

"Are you sure you aren't one? Your skin is so pale it looks sickly." She continues.

"I most certainly am not!" I huff; the kid has hit a sore spot about my skin. I can't help the fact that I get sunburned easily. I chuckle nervously under my breath, not willing to mention that I have indeed seen real zombies.

"So what was that delicious egg I tasted Onee-chan?"

"Oh, that?" I pause slightly, remembering how sad I am now that it was gone. I tell her about how I found a spider eagle nest and stole one of the eggs that were down in a ravine.

Licking her lips the kid introduces herself as Menchi. She looks hopefully up at me, "Do you have any more food Onee-chan?"

Smiling at her sadly I shake my head. "I'm afraid that I don't."

Both of our stomachs growl at the same time and I realize that neither of us have had much to eat. "The spider eagle nest isn't too far from here actually, but there weren't many eggs left when I visited…."

Menchi looks up at me with hopeful eyes, and I decide to make the trip back over there with her in tow; might as well make her useful. Menchi stares at the ravine with wide terrified eyes and creeps back from the edge.

"See those bundles there on the spider webs; those are the eggs that I was eating earlier. But getting to them is tricky. Just stay there while I snag a few."

Without warning I jump down into the ravine grabbing a web with my arms, even though I feel like they are being ripped out of my sockets and heights scare the crap out of me. Feeling a slight breeze I drop from the web and head towards a bundle of eggs, snagging a few before an updraft pushes me back up. Menchi stares in awe at me and asks excitedly how I did that. I explain that there are updrafts in these ravines so when the babies hatch out of their eggs the wind carries them up out of there. All I had to do was be brave and wait for the wind.

"Hey kid, while I go look for some plants for a salad; why don't you gather some firewood to boil water for those eggs, okay?"

"Okay, she says cheerfully."

I leave my pack and metal cooking pot next to the eggs, and go off to hunt for some plants to have along with the eggs. Rummaging around in the woods nearby I spy some wild parsley and wild onion, digging it up with my bare hands. I wander deeper into the woods, unaware of a pair of gleaming eyes looking at me. I find some apple trees and pick a few to have with our eggs. Humming cheerfully to myself. Unaware there is a loud buzzing sound, I walk into a tree and a large honeycomb lands on my head. An angry cloud of Red Paralytic Honey Bees chase after me.

"SHIIIIIIT!"

I run, screaming away. Those bee stings make it not worth stealing honey from them. With stingers 3 inches in length and tipped with a painful paralytic, getting stung isn't a good idea. Running around blindly, I trip over a hidden log and land on my face.

"Ah hell, of all the times to be fucking clumsy."

I groan, trying to swat away a few of the wasps and succeed for the most part, but, end up getting stung by several of the more persistent ones. "God I hurt!" I scream to no one in particular. Trying to pick myself up off the ground, the bees are still behind me. Spotting a massive pile of foxbear dung on the ground, I mutter to myself angrily, hoping to cover my body from the bees before rolling around in it. The bees quickly lose interest in me because of the smell, and I sigh in relief.

"I really didn't think that would work!" I say excitedly to myself, or at least try to considering I'm covered in foxbear poo.

"God, can this day get any worse?" I say out loud. I grimace at being covered in feces and head to a stream to wash it off. Washing off the muck I feel slightly better, and then I wonder why my head feels so heavy. I end up pulling off a honey comb that fell from the bee's nest.

"No wonder those assholes were so persistent. Well, since I already have it, I might as well use it." I wince at the stings I've acquired for the accidental prize.

"Won't be too long before the venom hits…" I rush back to where I left the pack and the eggs only to find a pair of beady greedy eyes looking up at me. The black mask of a raccoon smirks at me as it picks up the eggs I carelessly left lying around.

"HEY, HEY! Damn it! Give those back you little bastard!"

Dropping my scavenged goods on the ground, I yell in frustration, while trying to chase after the asshole. Almost catching him, I stumble at the last second, freezing up from the paralyzing venom the bees injected me with. Feeling my body start to freeze up; I barely make it back to our campsite before the equivalent of rigor mortis sets in. Menchi, who had been gathering firewood at this point, hears my yelling and runs back in my direction with what she had found.

"Hey! Where are our eggs?" She asks before noticing the state I'm in. Smiling wryly up at her, I can only imagine that I look like shit. Hair tangled and sopping wet, face and body streaked with mud, including the large welts on my skin swollen to the size of baseballs from the stings. Not to mention, the eggs being stolen by those damn raccoons. Yeah... It had been a fucking fantastic day.

"Let's say an uninvited guest decided to help himself to our eggs while we were away. I really hate those fucking, thieving raccoons. I swear, wherever I go they seem to stalk me…" Getting lost in my thoughts thinking about all the wonderful ways I can exact sweet revenge on what I believe are the spawn of hell. Menchi notices me getting really quiet and looks at me concerned.

"Are you okay Onee-chan?" She asks quietly.

"No kid. I got stung by some red paralyzing honeybees, had to roll in foxbear poop and ended up with our eggs stolen. And now, I can't move, everything is just fine!" I spit out sarcastically.

"Even if I could move, there aren't any more eggs that I can grab for us. The rest are in a narrow crevice I can't fit in."

Menchi's eyes light up and she says "I can get them Onee-chan!" She runs off before I have a chance to warn her that it's highly dangerous. Thinking that the kid is as good as dead, I feel just a little sad at the idea. I stay where I am and hope the bee venom wears off in a few hours, before anything else can find me in these woods. Closing my eyes I shiver, but I'm not sure if it's from being soaked, or remembering that there was a foxbear somewhere in the area. Sometime later, after dozing off for a bit, I'm awakened from the sound of something moving through the brush. Stiffening thinking it might be the foxbear that lives around here, I quickly close my eyes, preparing for death before a bright voice says to me.

"Hey are you sleeping Onee-chan? I got the eggs just like you asked!"

I stare up into Menchi's face shocked that she is not only alive but, she has armfuls of spider-eagle eggs.

"Hey munchkin," I say through numb lips. "I thought you were dead."

Menchi pouts at this and sulks, saying "It wasn't hard. I just did what you showed me, even though I was really scared, it was fun too."

"You look good kid." I smile up at her face, her cheeks are flushed pink and her green eyes are bright with excitement and life. Looking up from her face to the top of her head, I snicker at her wild blue hair, being wind tussled into 5 points almost like a star.

"However, your hair seems to be a bit of a mess." I snicker again. She wanders over to the stream and I hear her scream. I end up bursting out into raucous laughter when she comes back with a glum expression on her face. "Ah kid, it's not that bad." I laugh with mirth.

"Actually, it looks good on you; you should keep it like that. I think there are some hair ties in my bag that you can use." Both of our stomachs growl again, and I look down embarrassed.

Swallowing down my bitter pride. "Hey Menchi, can I ask you a favor? I can't cook because of those bees. It's embarrassing but, I can't even boil a pot of water in this state. Can you prepare the meal for us?"

"Ehhh!? What do I get out of all this?"

"Well for one kid, you don't go hungry. Two, you get experience in an important life skill. Three, you get to help someone else instead of just yourself. Isn't that a good thing, wanting to help others? After all, you might not be alive had my egg not fallen in your mouth earlier."

"Now go start that fire with that wood and, fill that pot up with water and set it on the fire. After that's done, put the eggs in there and wait for the water to hit a boil. Once it reaches a boil, place that lid on it and remove the pot from the heat. Let the eggs sit in the water for 12 minutes, before removing them with a cedar branch that should work as a ladle. "

Once Menchi has gotten the eggs in the pot to cook, I tell her what to do next. "I want you to work on the salad next."

"Salad!?" Menchi moans. "I hate greens."

"Shut up and eat your vegetables! You haven't heard what I wanted you to do yet anyway. In my pack there's a knife, but be careful it's very sharp. I want you to cut the apple into wedges and wash the greens in the creek upstream. Bring back a little bit of water. Cut the top and bottom off the onion, peel the outside and then cut it into thin slices. Mix the honey with a little bit of the water and toss the apples and greens in the sauce."

A little while later the food is ready, the smell of the warm eggs teases my nose with its scent. Menchi ends up having to feed me because I still can't move. She shoves the hot eggs into my mouth burning my tongue. However, I don't say anything about it, simply savoring the soft, hot, delicious egg instead. This is nice I guess. I think to myself, before Menchi shoves the salad into my mouth and I end up choking because I can't swallow it all. Spitting out the food Menchi looks up into my eyes challengingly and says.

"I thought you said to eat your greens, you're no better than I am!"

"I am eating my greens!" I argue back petulantly. "You shoved them in there so fast I couldn't swallow. I was choking. You made me waste food! I don't ever want to waste food. You don't ever know when your next meal will come along." I grit out angrily, becoming quiet as I think about my childhood. Always feeling the hunger gnawing away at me, but not being able to do anything about it. Constantly on the verge of collapse because my body didn't have enough energy to keep functioning. Those were bad times… Menchi flinches away from me when I yell at her, and I sigh in frustration.

"Look, I'm sorry okay…? I'm a bit sensitive when it comes to food." I hold back on telling the full truth.

"Where I come from, food was a scarce and precious commodity. I saw a lot of my fellow people starve to death and those that were still alive, fight to protect what meager scraps they had. All around us were mountains of garbage, piles of rubble and ruined buildings." I say in a serious voice.

"Really?" Menchi asks wide eyed.

"No kid, I was just making that up, there's no such place." I smile while lying through my teeth. Menchi doesn't need to know of Meteor City, the place the world has forgotten and where the millions that live there don't exist.

"I grew up in a boring village north of here. My people are nomadic and live off the land; it's why I'm so good at scrounging up grub."

I ask about why Menchi was traveling on the road and so skinny. She tells me about a tiny country called Jappon and this thing called 'sushi', a weird bald-headed snot-nosed brat was talking about as he passed through her village one day.

"He kept bragging to everyone about how the food in his country was so much better than the muck we eat around here. It got me really mad at how he dismissed our culture." Menchi complains in a huff.

"You know Menchi; it sounds like you have all the makings of becoming a gourmet hunter."

"What's a gourmet hunter?" Menchi asks tilting her head in confusion at me.

"Ah, um… well, a gourmet hunter is a person who travels around the world constantly in search of rare ingredients, better food and culinary experiences. Much like you are doing wanting to try out that dish called 'sushi'. You want to experience the world through your mouth and senses, rather than just think about food as being sustenance." I say, thinking carefully about how to word it so this kid will understand.

"Are you a gourmet hunter Onee-chan?" Menchi asks again, curious and nosy about my past.

"Nope, I am not anything interesting like a hunter; I just know how to cook." I smile back sadly, remembering that I did once have that wish, when I was starry-eyed and younger like Menchi is now.

"But kid, if you want to become one it won't be easy, but I know you have the ability to do so. Grabbing those spider eagle eggs took a lot of guts, being a gourmet hunter isn't just about eating good food. It's about being willing to face the hardships and danger just to have the chance to. If you put your mind to it you can become a famous hunter. Whether you choose to do so however, is up to you. Try not to be too picky about your food otherwise you will end up being hungry all the time, okay?"

"Okay Onee-chan!" Menchi chirps back. "You know I think I will become a hunter for you Onee-chan, okay?" She continues.

"Okay kid, make me proud." I smile as the fire burns down into glowing embers, the night is getting late. Before falling asleep, I call out to Menchi

"My name's Kailani, not Onee-chan, but you can call me Kai okay? My friends call me Kai."

The next morning I stretch the stiffness out of my body as the sun shines brightly into my eyes. It feels good to finally be able to move around again after being helpless last night due to the bees. Feeling the need to use the bathroom, I wander over to a bush to relieve myself, pondering over yesterday's events.

"God I hope I never see another Red Paralyzing Honeybee for as long as I live. They really aren't worth the effort." Checking myself for damage from yesterday; I discover that the swelling from the stings has gone down significantly leaving smaller, slightly itchy, red bumps behind. I touch my head gingerly, wincing as I feel a bruise the size of a bowling ball forming.

"Must be from when I tripped over that stupid log. Other than some scratches from running around in the bush blindly, I feel ok. I've had worse, not too bad considering what happened yesterday." I say out-loud to myself.

Wandering back next to the campsite, I spot Menchi still asleep. I also spy some spider-eagle eggs that Menchi must have forgotten to cook. _Huh… guess she forgot these. Oh well, I'll cook up some breakfast for us anyway, no sense letting these go to waste._ I heat up the pot from last night until it gets hot enough for the metal to expand slightly, before pulling out a small bottle of oil I had in my pack. I pour some into the pot, coating the metal, and letting the oil heat up before cracking the leftover eggs into it. The smell of frying eggs fills the air and Menchi's nose twitches in her sleep before she finally wakes up.

"Smells good" She murmurs sleepily, not quite aware of what's going on.

"Good morning." I say to her. "How do fried eggs for breakfast sound? We also have some honeycomb and apples left over from yesterday. Grab some leaves and it will be ready in a minute." I turn back to cooking the eggs and flip them over expertly without breaking a yolk. Menchi comes back with several large sycamore leaves that I use as plates. I dish up the eggs between us, and toss her an apple. I slice a piece of honeycomb off for her. We eat in silence, the only noise being the slurping and crunching from the food.

"Well." I say finally breaking the silence. "I guess this is where we part ways. I have things I need to do and you are heading off to Jappon, right? I'm glad I ran into you even if you ate my last egg." I smile at her fondly.

"Take care of yourself. You said you wanted to try to be a gourmet hunter? Take these as a parting gift from me." Hefting into her small hands I give her my beat up cooking pot, a bag of salf and my chef's knife. "My cooking pot, it might not look like much, but it still makes great food despite being beat up on by the world. Salt, so that life may always have flavor even if it is just a boring piece of stale bread. My chef's knife. A chef's knife is a cook's livelihood; you'll take very good care of it, won't you? And finally I give you these words of wisdom."

"Food isn't just food, it has a way of making people smile, just like you, regardless of if they are down on their luck or better off in life. It brings people together from all walks of life. Don't forget that just a simple meal can change a person's life." I wink down at her before walking away not giving her a chance to thank me.

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 **AN: So how did you guys like this?**

 **I ended up spending most of today trying to come up with an interesting opening plot. At first this was for fun but then I started to worry about creating a Mary sue type character or having the grammar be all messed up. Then I started to worry that I was making the plot boring so I looked up all these ways to improve a story. Now I feel like I am writing a novel to publish for snobs instead of fellow fans. I hope it came out okay. Writing like this though is tiring because I have to constantly revise stuff. I hate that this text editor thing lacks a tab button so I have to hit the space bar a bunch of times. TL:DR**

 **I haven't written more because I am not sure how you guys will like this story. If the reviews are good I already have most of the next chapter planned out and written but I will probably flesh it out more now that I have a prologue written. Hard to believe I am writing this whole thing out of order!**

 **I know this story says that it involves the Phantom Troupe, Gon and Killua, don't worry they will be appearing later! I am trying to keep everyone as in character as possible but Idk how well that will turn out. I guess the story is sorta AU, but not really, as it's still in the hunter universe.**

 **This story will contain many topics that people will find disturbing, it will include but not be limited to swearing, torture, gore, mentions of abuse and child abuse as well as strong, explicit content. If all that shit doesn't bother you than this is the fic for you! I will try to mark at the top of each chapter some content warnings but this story is rated MA for a reason.**

 **For those who are interested fun fact: The way I wrote how to cook hardboiled eggs is one of the correct ways to do it. It works best with large size Grade A chicken eggs. Put the eggs in a pot of water, cover with at least 1 inch worth of cold water over the tops of the eggs. Bring it quickly to a boil, take it off the heat, slap a lid on it and let it sit for 12 minutes. Bingo, perfect eggs. Not rubbery or green.**


	2. The Cooking Hunter Exam

**A/N: 09-26-18 I made another unexpected change. I have combined chapter 2 and 3 down into one chapter and did some grammar editing. Plot stays the same. Thanks!**

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 **Chapter 2: The Cooking Hunter Exam**

 **10 years later: during the 287** **th** **Hunter exam**

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Gon, Killua, Kurapika, Leorio and 144 other participants of the 287th hunter exam have made it to the 2nd phase. Satotz, after having led them on an 80km run and through smugglers swamp for the first phase, leaves the participants in an open field with a large building in front of them. There are 2 locked doors which swing open inward that take up most of the front of the building. Directly above the door are 8 square windows that span the door's length, and above the windows centered just below the peak of the roof is a clock which reads the time 11:45 am. There is a sign posted on the building that says the 2nd phase will begin at noon. Inside of the building ominous growling noises can be heard coming from inside. The participants outside shuffle around in unease wondering what strange beast could be making these sounds.

Gon, after having checked up on Leorio, goes to investigate the sound and finds Killua. Everyone holds their breath as the clock strikes noon and the two doors swing open silently. Peering inside everyone is shocked to see what appears to be a giant with a huge stomach and a girl in front of him reclining on a chair. The giant is wearing a poor fitting yellow long sleeve t-shirt which fails to cover his belly button and massive exposed stomach, and a green pair of slacks. He lacks any kind of footwear. He has black shaggy, unkempt hair, which is trimmed to ear length and full of cowlicks. His small, beady eyes are black and hold a vacant expression. He has a double chin and has a slight amount of stubble growing on his face, his eyebrows are thick and bushy and he seems to have a permanent crease between his eyes almost as if he were concerned all the time. The ominous growling noises are emanating from his stomach.

The young woman reclining in front of him seems to pay his growling stomach no mind as she smiles up at the 148 remaining participants. She is of average height with seafoam colored hair that is tied up in what appear to be 5 star points sticking straight out, her bangs rest gently against her head to frame her small face. She has a delicate nose and high arching eyebrows above green eyes. Her eyes peer at the challengers this year wearing a confident smirk. She is wearing a black sports bra which is covered by a black fishnet t-shirt leaving her midriff and ample cleavage exposed. She has on a pair of daisy-duke shorts which barely cover her butt leaving her slim and toned legs bare. To complete her outfit she has on a pair of black pump high heels that have pink ribbons on the toes and then the shoes turn into a sock with pink bows continuing up to her knees.

Finally glancing up at the giant she asks him. "So, are you hungry?"

The giant complains with a distressed face. "Hungry? I'm way past that. I'm starving!"

"Very well then." She replies back to him quietly. Raising her voice to be heard over the chattering of the crowd outside.

"Hello! Welcome to the second phase of the hunter exam, my name is Menchi and behind me," she points to the giant, "is Buhara."

"We are what are known as Gourmet hunters, and the second phase test will be… COOKING!"

"Cooking?..." Many of the applicants murmur and stare at the strange pair in shock. Leorio starts to sweat nervously thinking. Cooking? Geez, I've never cooked a thing in my life, how in the hell am I going to pass this? Kurapika stays silent but he is nervous as well.

"To pass this test," Menchi continues. "You must cook a dish for Buhara and if you pass, then you will cook a different one for me. If both of us like your dishes, you will pass on to the third phase of the exam. When both of us are full the testing will end. Easy as cherry pie."

"My dish will be… whole roast pig! Any pig in the reserve will work!" Buhara announces his eyes becoming unfocused and saliva dripping out of his mouth, he seems to be in a state of bliss.

All the competitors rush out into the reserve hunting for what they expect will be a regular sized pig; however the only pigs that live in this area are the giant Great Stamp pigs.

"You know Buhara that was really mean of you. There's only one kind of pig that lives here and it has a notoriously bad temper, not to mention it's carnivorous. I don't know why you would mislead those poor applicants like that." Menchi smiles up at him with a not so innocent smile.

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Meanwhile, Gon and his friends are the first to run into the great stamp pigs. 5 times the size of Leorio, with beady eyes and a giant snout that is shaped like a shovel, they charge after the group like a bull seeing red. The pig manages to toss them into the air and Gon smacks the pigs head with his fishing rod, easily knocking it out. Realizing that the head is the pig's weak spot the rest of his group capture pigs of their own.

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A short while later, what sounds like a large stampede heads back to where the two judges are waiting who look at each other in surprise. The successful 70 applicants roast their pigs on spits in fire-pits that are scattered around the outside of the building. The smell of roasting pork fills the air and Buhara's stomach growls again loudly. After about 40 minutes of cooking the pork is ready and Buhara stuffs his face, giving everyone the thumbs up. Menchi thinks to herself wondering if Buhara made his task too easy. Up in a tree Satotz, who never really left, continues to spy on the group of applicants thinking that this year's contestants are exceptional.

"Buhara are you even tasting the food!?" Menchi complains. "You should be more picky, I can't believe you passed all of them!"

"I couldn't help myself…. I was so hungry, and I kinda went overboard." Buhara says with a full mouth while holding a ham hock in one hand and patting his belly with another. "Either way I've narrowed down the applicants quite a bit."

"I suppose you have," Menchi says somewhat disgusted. "But you should be more critical of their taste. You are a gourmet hunter after all. Don't give the rest of them the wrong opinion about us gourmet hunters being easy to please and that just any food will do."

Still grumbling under her breath Menchi gets up out of her chair and rings a gong.

"The first part of Phase 2, the pig round, is now over! 70 of you applicants have passed. Now moving on to the next part, I want the rest of you all to make me nigiri sushi! Unlike Buhara here, I am a picky, VERY, picky food critic."

Everyone in the remaining applicants, stare at each other dumbfounded. They all draw a blank over this dish. The silence is absolute.

"I can tell you guys have no idea what sushi is, let me enlighten you; sushi comes from a very small relatively unknown country called Jappon. You have all the cooking tools you need at these stations to make sushi as well as the defining ingredient rice. The exam will be over once I am full, you can try as many times as you like until then. You may now begin!"

Everyone is still scratching their heads except for a young bald ninja with a tag number of 294 who smirks and tries to hold in a snicker. His name is Hanzo. He has a serious disposition and can be very perceptive when he needs to, but most of the time he's a total airhead and completely gullible. He is often seen wearing his emotions on his face.

 _Man I really lucked out. Sushi is a specialty of my home country. I have this one in the bag! Gotta keep it together though, I can't let the others know that I can make sushi._

Hanzo glances at a guy molding sushi rice into a giant ball the size of a cantaloupe. A goofy grin and snicker still manage to escape. The people surrounding him sweat drop while collectively thinking _He knows_.

Everyone is still milling around 10 minutes later, nobody has started yet. Gon pokes at the rice thinking Menchi means rice balls, while Killua holds a chef knife in his hand as if it is about to bite him. Killua tells Gon it can't be rice balls because they wouldn't need a knife otherwise. Kurapika and Leorio don't fare much better. Kurapika holds his head trying to remember what he read about the dish.

"I think I read something about the dish having vinegar, rice and fish, but I can't remember how it's assembled." Kurapika whispers into Leorio's ear.

"Fish? In the middle of the woods?" Leorio yells oblivious to the entire group of 70 applicants overhearing.

"Shut up you idiot! There are fish in streams and lakes in the forest. If you don't keep your big mouth shut, everyone will know how to pass!" Kurapika hisses to Leorio, tossing a sushi paddle directly at Leorio's big forehead.

"Shoot, how did everyone catch on?" Leorio complains to Kurapika who is trying very hard not to beat his brains out.

"Aghh!" Hanzo yells out. How did they figure it out?

While everyone is away catching fish, Buhara looks at Menchi out of the corner of his eye.

"You know, you are no better than I am. You left out the fact that sushi is made with saltwater fish, not fresh. You are just setting them up to fail." Buhara mentions.

"Well, I've had plenty of regular sushi; I am interested in trying something different. Besides, I am a chef first and examiner second. You shouldn't be the only one to get to eat."

Menchi pouts at Buhara while imagining all the interesting dishes she will get to eat. She recalls from her memories a friend of hers telling her not to be picky otherwise she will end up starving more often than not. Unfortunately 10 years has done little to curb her bad habit of being overly critical of her food. Buhara doesn't say anything but he rolls his eyes thinking that it isn't wise of Menchi to be like this. _T_ h _ose poor competitors don't know what they are getting themselves into. There may very well be no people that pass this year because of Menchi._

Everyone has returned with their fish and are making their own take on sushi based on what few hints Menchi has dropped about the dish. Leorio mumbles to himself grinning wickedly believing to have made the dish Menchi wants.

"Hand molded with fish and rice coming right up!"

Leorio walks up to Menchi and presents his covered dish. When he removes the lid what lies in place isn't sushi, but an eldritch abomination. All in a large ball of rice are random pieces of fish sticking in and out. A tail here, a fin there, some bones and a fish head that is still alive.

"Well, dig in!" Leorio says proudly. Menchi however looks aghast at the dish Leorio has presented. She instead picks up the whole plate and chucks it behind her angrily.

"You're kidding, right?!" She says.

"What kind of critique is that?" Leorio spits back.

"What was that!? You spiky haired geezer? Are you disputing my judgement? Get back and try again!" Menchi huffs angrily.

"Listen, the shape of nigiri sushi is important for it to be considered nigiri sushi."

"How about this miss?" Gon replies happily. He has what looks like a live minnow on a plate with a small ball of rice going around the middle of the fish.

"Wrong! What are you, taking lessons from number 403?" Menchi complains angrily, tossing the dish away. Her temper is starting to get the best of her, as she rejects dish after dish. Someone presents to her an onigiri.

"Right country but, wrong dish." She sighs heavily.

"Are you guys even trying to feed me? I haven't seen one I have even wanted to try to eat yet." _How can everyone be so dense! I've given them plenty of hints on how to make sushi_. Menchi complains internally to herself, fretting.

Kurapika having put together all the clues and paying attention to the utensils Menchi has to eat with, he figures out that the sushi should be about so big. He places his attempt in front of her and she tosses it aside. His dish looks just like Gon's and the fish is also still alive.

"This is just as bad as 403's!" Menchi states insultingly.

Kurapika starts to visibly wither away at having been compared to be as bad as Leorio, who is completely affronted to see Kurapika being shocked to be compared to him.

"Come on, I'm not that bad." Leorio whines. Menchi starts to go on a meltdown stomping up and down like a little kid throwing a tantrum

"You are all Pathetic! Hopeless! Lack Imagination. What's wrong with you all?" Menchi cries.

"Not me miss." A baritone voice belonging to number 294 says. Approaching Menchi, Hanzo is holding a plate with proper nigiri sushi on it.

"About time, finally some real nigiri sushi! Now how does it taste~?" Menchi says excitedly.

"Hrmmm…" Menchi chews the piece of sushi thoughtfully. After a minute she opens her eyes and says a single word. "Nope."

"What do you mean 'Nope'? Sushi is just rice dabbed with wasabi and a piece of fish on top; it can't be any simpler than that! It tastes the same no matter who makes it!" Hanzo explodes in Menchi's face.

Menchi begins to grow in size behind Hanzo's back, becoming a foreboding presence.

"Nothing simpler? Tastes the same? Do you even realize what you are saying baldy!? It takes a decade to master making sushi! You worthless lot can't even hope to beat a beginner!" Menchi grabs Hanzo's shirt and pulls him close to her face.

"Wait a minute… I know you! You're that snot nosed, baldy brat from 10 years ago; the one who kept bragging to me about how great sushi was. This is the best you can give me?" She shakes Hanzo back and forth like a rag doll.

"You would make your country sick at such a pathetic attempt of their national dish! You FAIL!"

Buhara sighs watching Menchi go off on another tirade about how pathetic all these cooks are. _There she goes again, that bad habit of hers. When she's like this only a few people in the world can satisfy her high standards. She's lost all sense of perspective. At this rate we will be lucky if anyone can pass. I don't know why the Chairman picked a 1 star hunter like Menchi for the job; he knows how troublesome she can be._ He thinks to himself, trying to stay out of her way.

"All this yelling has made me even hungrier, come on next dish, next one!" Menchi shouts sitting back down on her throne. Suddenly a crowd of people form around her, holding their own dishes now that they finally know what Menchi is looking for. Hanzo slinks away in defeat.

"Wow so many! I guess I have to actually judge them based on taste now, huh?" Menchi tries piece, after piece, after piece of sushi. Rejecting all of them with comments such as. "The rice should fall apart in the mouth, the fish needs to be cut across the grain, you didn't make the sushi fast enough now it's too hot, and the shape is wrong." Finally she announces "I'm full." Nobody has managed to pass.

* * *

Satotz who has been watching growing more and more exasperated ends up calling the Chairman of the Hunter Association to notify him of what's going on.

"I see. Yes… I suggest you call her and remind her, what she is supposed to be doing. If that doesn't work I highly recommend coming in person regardless…. Very well. Goodbye." Satotz hangs up the phone and shakes his head going back to his silent vigil over the proceedings. _I really hope the president can straighten her out. I don't know why he recommended her in the first place._ Satotz sweat drops.

* * *

 **5 minutes later, Menchi is on the phone with Beans.**

"Look, this is how things went down, I can't control that…"

"No, I'm not overdoing it! What'da mean I'm not sticking to protocol? It was stated at the beginning that I would be passing them on how the food tastes; by my sense of taste!"

"You were also equally judging them based on their ability on how to pick up on hints as well." Buhara interjects.

"Shuddaup." Menchi snarls at Buhara.

"Look there was a minor hiccup, one of the competitors knew how to make the dish and then the rest of them caught on by copying that guy. That ruined everything. Look, I'm not redoing the test." Menchi angrily hangs up the phone.

* * *

Beans on the other end of the phone winces. "Yes, but that isn't enough…. Hello? Hello? Are you there?"

"She's hung up on me Chairman, and she's turned her phone off. How do you want to proceed?"

"Ohooh. Looks like she's still as fiery as ever! I guess Satotz was right after all, she's made a mess of the whole exam. There are too many special cases this year to just let her do as she pleases. Come along Beans; let's make our way to the airship." The chairman laughs gleefully to himself, being able to meddle in the exam earlier than he planned to. _Heheee this is going to be so fun! I wonder who else I can mess with!_

* * *

"Alright everyone, I've come to a decision. Nobody passes. You'll just have to try again next year." Menchi states nonchalantly to the increasingly angry crowd.

"What do you mean I have to try again next year?"

A particularly angry competitor with the badge number 255 says as he smashes his sushi station. He is a particularly hefty guy, with the body of a sumo wrestler, with dirty blond hair pulled back into a high ponytail. His head is shaved on each side above his ears. He has on a baggy black long sleeve shirt, khaki colored long pants with knee guards and bulky hiking boots on. His name is Todo.

"I didn't come here to be a Gourmet Hunter. I came here to be a Blacklist hunter, not butcher fish and smear rice on it. Where's the real test, not this prissy gourmet crap! Knowing how to cook isn't needed to become a hunter!"

"Ah, is that so? Well too bad for you that this 'Prissy gourmet crap' is what's judging you this go around. Try again next year, rookie."

"What'da say to me bitch!? Don't mess with me."

Number 255 charges towards Menchi but before he can even get within 5 feet of her; Buhara slaps the guy silly into next week, causing Todo to spin around like a football and smash out one of the windows of the building.

"You know you didn't have to do that Buhara. I could have easily handled him on my own." Menchi says her hands behind the back of her chair having pulled out two very large knives quicker than the eye could follow.

"Yeah? And let you kill that guy? I don't think so; he'd be sashimi if I hadn't stepped in." Buhara states flatly.

"Hmmph." Menchi stands up and starts twirling her two knives around in her hand. Tossing them up in the air and juggling them. There is another knife strapped to her thigh but it looks more beat up than the others.

"What a joke, he wants to be a Blacklist hunter, he couldn't even defend himself." Menchi says scoffing.

"Listen up! Regardless of what kind of hunter you want to be, you all need to be proficient in Martial Arts. For us Gourmet Hunters, rare ingredients are often in the most inhospitable, dangerous places you can be. We end up fighting dangerous beasts on a daily basis such as what you did earlier with the great stamp for Buhara. We are also often called upon to hunt down and capture dangerous poachers. If you are any kind of hunter, martial arts becomes as second nature as breathing. Without such skills you will die. You also need the burning desire to challenge the unknown, to stand bravely in the face of adversity. THAT is what I am looking for in each of you! Guts!"

"Even if you are right." A voice from above says. "Isn't failing the entire group of contestants going a bit far?"

"Hey look up there! There's a blimp in the sky with the hunter association on it." A voice shouts from the crowd.

"Wait, I think I see something. There's a person jumping from up there!" Someone else screams. "They're going to die, it must be at least 100 feet down!"

Without warning, the person falling from above crash lands, leaving a visible, deep crater. Once the dust cloud settles, the person standing there is a clearly old man. He is wearing a white traditional male kimono with blue horizontal stripes on each of the sleeves and a blue band around the neck area. On his feet are a pair of white tabi socks and a pair of tall tengu-geta. He looks to be well into his upper 90's. His head is shaved bald except for where a high ponytail comes out on the top of his head and is tied with a blue string. He is wearing a long, thick beard that goes down his neck before ending in a curled point. Both his beard and head are a pure white. He has long stretched earlobes that have two piercings per ear. His mischievous brown eyes crinkle in amusement as everyone gapes at him. His face may be full of wrinkles but there are numerous laugh lines around his eyes and mouth that gives the impression that he has had his fair amount of fun in life.

"Goodness! That was a bit higher than I thought it was." He chuckles to himself. "It hurts more than I expected, I guess I am getting old after all!" He walks up to Menchi who grimaces.

"Chairman Netero, to what do I owe this pleasure?" She bows politely.

"You know I don't get involved unless something needs my immediate attention. I've heard you've been causing trouble Menchi." His happy go lucky disposition changes drastically as his eyes pierce Menchi's. You could cut the tension in the air with one of Menchi's chef knifes.

"Yes, chairman?" Menchi says politely.

"Did you fail these applicants because after testing their will to challenge the unknown you found their desire lacking?" Netero raises a bushy white eyebrow.

"Well…no…" She says in a small voice.

"But I did get angry when one of the applicants belittled the task and the others found out to make the dish from another one. I got really upset and I lost my appetite."

"And did that loss of appetite and anger hinder you from making a clear-headed judgment on whether they had the criteria to pass as hunters?" Netero continues.

"No." Menchi sighs in defeat. "I just can't help getting worked up when people insult food. I will resign as an examiner since I have failed to do my duty and stay objective. Please excuse me." Menchi makes to leave but is stopped by Netero.

"No, to have you leave now would ruin the exam and compromise this whole year. I want you to stay on as an examiner, but, you will have to lead by example this time. Does that sound fair to you?"

"Ah! Yes Sir! I actually have an idea of where we can do the new exam at too! Do you mind giving us a lift to Split Mountain? The new test will be making boiled eggs!"

Netero smiles at Menchi knowing exactly where her train of thought is going.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea my dear. Very well, everyone, please follow me!"

* * *

 **2 hours later at Split Mountain Ravine**

The airship lands at a mountain that juts up from the surrounding flat land like a fist. It has one giant crack running straight through the middle of the mountain. There are multiple strong gusts coming up from the ravine and the howling of the wind makes it hard to everyone to hear each other. At the very bottom of the ravine a wide, swift moving river cuts through it. To fall would surely mean death. The ground underneath Menchi's feet at the edge of the ravine crumbles easily under her light weight.

"Ah, here we are! Welcome to Split Mountain Ravine! This will be the site of the new test. The objective is to make boiled eggs using the spider eagle eggs found here. However, spider eagle eggs aren't easy to get. Without further ado let me lead by example!"

Without warning, Menchi dives headfirst into the ravine without a second thought. While she is falling Menchi gets lost in thought. _Gosh, this sure brings back memories. I wonder how Kai is doing now? Does she even know that I've become a Gourmet hunter like I said I would all those years ago? Kai this one's for you!_

The competitors who stand a bit back from the ravine, look on in shock. "She's dead! There's no way she can survive that fall!" Todo having awakened on the airship ride over looks terrified. _She's completely nuts!_

"Actually," Begins Netero. "Menchi is completely fine. You see, Spider Eagles lay their eggs down in these ravines by weaving webs across the gaps. They do this to hold bundles of their eggs suspended away from hungry land predators. When they hatch, the wind carries the babies up into safety. Menchi knows that there are webs to grab onto and the timing of the gusts. She's fine."

As Netero finishes saying this Menchi is doing exactly as he described. She grabs onto a horizontal web with her arms swinging around it several times like a gymnast before slowing her movement. Once she comes to a rest she grabs a handful of the chicken sized eggs and waits for the wind to pick up. She lets go of her handhold and the wind carries her back up hundreds of feet onto the edge of the ravine. She looks up at the shocked faces of everyone like it's no big deal, while Netero looks away trying not to grin.

"Now all you have to do is boil it!" She smiles before moving around to start a fire and get a very large pot of water boiling.

"Ne, Killua this looks like a lot of fun, want to try it?" Gon shouts excitedly.

"Sure, this looks way more interesting than trying to make sushi, don't ya think?" Killua states nonchalantly, but you can see excitement burning in his blue eyes.

"Now this is a test I can get behind." Leorio grins.

"Agreed." Says Kurapika, slightly embarrassed that he agrees with Leorio on anything.

All at once, the group of four friends jump into the ravine together, grabbing on to any webs that they can. Also jumping into the ravine are Hisoka, Pockle, Hanzo, the Amori brothers, Gittarackur, Bourbon, Bodoro and even Tonpa to name a few. Todo inches away from the ravine too terrified to continue.

"It is okay to accept your limits and embrace your natural instinct for fear. It shows you aren't stupid, however to be a hunter you must be able to override these instincts. If you are unable to do so you are more than welcome to take the exam again next year." Netero says calmly looking at those who haven't jumped yet.

"So, when are we supposed to grab the eggs and get up?" Leorio asks nervously.

"Not yet." Gon says. His eyes closed listening closely to the sound and smell of the wind. The slightest breeze ruffling the hairs on his face.

"NOW!"

Gon yells, everyone lets go of their web and grabs an egg before the wind howls again lifting them back up to the top. Gon laughs all the way up contagiously getting Killua, Leorio and even Kurapika involved. Once being safely back on ground Gon's eyes sparkle with a passion for living and the thrill of adrenaline coursing through his veins. Once everyone has put their eggs into the boiling water they mill around in small groups to talk about what they just went through.

"AMAZING Onee-chan!" Gon says running up to Menchi hugging her enthusiastically, Killua slowly trailing after him.

"Where did you learn how to do something like this!?"

"AH… hey kid." Menchi pats him on the head awkwardly. Gon reminds her of what she used to be like at that age doing that exact same thing.

"Let's say an old friend of mine taught me how to do this when I was just a little bit younger than you are today. I was only 11 at the time, and a scrawny starving kid. She had gathered up some eggs to feed us, but left them out in the open. A nasty raccoon came and stole them while we were rummaging around for ingredients and firewood to cook them. She ended up getting paralyzed and we didn't have anything to eat, so I went back into the ravine to get more. She was really surprised that I made it back alive. Sitting around the campfire and eating those eggs made me realize that food is more than just a means to stay alive." Menchi smiles fondly.

Todo overhears this story while sitting with the others who decided to quit. 12 minutes later the eggs are ready and those that managed to conquer their fear and dive into the ravine tuck into their hard earned prizes.

"This here is a chicken egg," Menchi holds one in her left hand. "And this here is a spider eagle egg." She says motioning with her other hand. "As you can already tell these two eggs might look the same but the taste is completely different."

"God, it melts in my mouth!" "It's so creamy and sweet." "This makes regular eggs taste and feel like rubber!" "I've died and gone to heaven." Are many of the comments being muttered around the exam site through full mouths.

"It's things like this, that drive Gourmet hunters to go out into the world in search of new, better tastes and food. The reward outweighs the risk. Not all treasures are made from jewels and artifacts."

Todo wanders over towards Gon asking if he would be willing to share his egg. "C-could I please try some?"

"Sure." Gon says. "But, you have to apologize to Onee-chan here."

Gon offers up a piece of his small egg and Todo chews it hesitantly before closing his eyes and humming in pleasure. He reluctantly opens them up before looking at Menchi and bowing deeply to her.

"I am sorry I made fun of you and insulted Gourmet Hunters. My eyes have been opened to what you really do. It takes guts to be able to do something like this just for a chance to taste something good. I will be back next year to take the exam again."

"Food isn't just food; it has a way of making people smile, just like all of you, regardless of if they are rich or poor. It brings people together from all walks of life. Remember that just a simple meal can change a person's life." Menchi continues obviously quoting someone. Todo wanders off more determined than ever to pass the exam next year.

Netero smiles watching the trio out of the corner of his eyes; Wondering exactly who taught Menchi and steered her down the path towards becoming a one-star hunter. _Interesting._ He thinks to himself. _I'll have to see if I can find out who this person is. They might be worth dragging into the Hunter Association; Linne Hors-d'oeuvre would be very interested in meeting them._ He walks off over to the pot of eggs hoping to snag a few before Buhara gets over there.

* * *

 **A/N: As mentioned above I combined chapter 2 and 3 into a solid single one. Content is exactly the same.**

 **If you haven't looked at Chapter 1 since I fixed this. I went back through and changed all the grammar that was a mix between 2** **nd** **and 1** **st** **person into just 1** **st** **person. Sorry to make everything so confusing regarding the point of view of the story. Please don't hate me! :'(**

 **I know that the story about the spider eagle's, jumps back and forth between the Manga and the 2011 Anime; but I really thought the idea of having to purposely let go and wait for the wind to carry you back up to be WAY more exciting and dangerous than just climbing up a cliff with an egg in tow.**

 **The story will start to diverge some from the Canon. There will be more Gon and Killua next chapter and after that the Phantom Troupe.**

 **As always thanks for reading, favoriting and reviewing.**

 **Shout outs to:**

 **Mhoordin: Thank you so much for my first review, I hope that I exceed your expectations.**

 **geraldloo and .mercado for your favorites.**

 **Honewrites, .mercado and rikichancute for your follows.**

 **You make my writing more enjoyable and motivate me to write more. Thanks**


	3. Lost Friends, New Faces, Dark Beginnings

**Chapter 4: A Lost Friend X New Faces X Dark Beginnings**

 **Content Warning: Language**

* * *

 **Yorknew City: 9 months after the end of the 287th Hunter Exam, August 30th**

In a small, dusty pastry shop in Yorknew city, Menchi steps into the store out of the hot afternoon light. A small bell on the door chimes when it swings shut. The air conditioning brings a welcome relief from the heatwave going on outside.

"This is the place that old guy back in Heaven's Arena said he'd visited a while back. Not much to look at though. He better not be playing me..." Menchi mumbles quietly to herself.

She looks around the small store not all that impressed. The interior seriously needs a makeover and the windows haven't been washed in ages, flour coating many surfaces leaving them dusty. Despite the rundown appearance the store is very popular with the locals. The tantalizing aromas of fresh baked bread, cookies and cakes tempt her nose and makes Menchi's stomach growl in appreciation. Beautiful pastries such as chocolate croissants, colorful napoleons, cupcakes with thick gooey frosting and glossy fruit pies and tarts draw her eyes to the display counter. Handmade chocolates dominate a small corner of the store in various shapes such as stars and seashells. Oddly enough, there are some shaped like ninja. A muscle twitches on Menchi's forehead when she thinks of that snotty bald ninja from her childhood whom she ended up meeting again at the Hunter exam 9 months ago.

 _Fate sure is strange. Who knew that bald kid would have me run into her and lead me down the path I am now. Now that I've run into that baldy again, maybe it's a sign that I'll see her again. I've tried for years to find her and haven't had any luck. It's like she just disappeared. Let's hope the Chairman's and Linne's leads are right this time. Doesn't look like anyone works here though._

"Hello? Does anyone work here?"

"Coming!" A feminine voice drifts through the double swinging doors leading to the kitchen in the back of the store.

A young, short statured woman in her mid-20's with waist length mousy colored hair, kept tied up in a bun pinned at the nape of her neck steps out. The most noticeable thing about the woman is a large bright azure colored hair streak on the left side of her hair. She enters the front of the store with her back turned to the counter, carrying a tray of freshly baked chocolate croissants. Her rimless glasses keep slipping down her pale face. She is wearing a white chef coat and checked long pants. Her apron, covered in flour is decorated with the logo of the shop, a bird embroidered on the side in blue and orange stitches. She is on the hefty side probably from eating too many of the sweets from the store.

"Welcome to Blue Bird Pastries, how may I help you today?"

 _She sure doesn't look like the Kai I know_. _Why would she be working here of all places?_ Menchi thinks to herself.

At that moment the young woman chooses to turn around, her eyes going wide in shock as she drops the pastries on the floor.

"Ah! Ummm… please excuse me I was startled for a minute there. Let me get this cleaned up and I will help you in just a moment. It's an honor to have you here Menchi, my name is Sakura."

She rushes to hurriedly clean up the now worthless pastries seemingly upset. She seems to shrink in size until she becomes practically invisible to those in the room, avoiding Menchi's gaze. Menchi wouldn't have even noticed her if she hadn't just seen her seconds before.

 _This cowering mess of a person can't be her. Their personalities are nothing alike. I guess that guy in Heavens Arena was wrong. Menchi thinks to herself saddened that she still hasn't managed to find her friend. Tu_ rning around to leave, a green and white blur fly into the shop talking excitedly.

"Hey Kai! How are you today!? Do you have any more cookies for me today?" A boy in a green jacket with spiky black hair says.

Next to him a pre-teen in fashionable clothes with fluffy white hair says. "Have any more of those choco-ninjachans today!? I brought all my money!"

"Kai?" Menchi turns around swiftly and glares at where her friend is hiding.

The woman behind the counter, flinches and swears under her breath. "Well, damn," she mutters. "I guess my cover is blown." _I wonder if I can still make a break for it._ Kai thinks to herself eyeing the doors to the back room. Standing up from behind the display case, Kai smiles down at Gon and Killua before hesitantly looking into Menchi's angry eyes. Wincing a bit she finally speaks to Menchi.

"Ah…Hey Menchi… How have you been doing? Never would have guessed to see you here of all places." I smile sheepishly at her, having momentarily forgotten the enthusiastic duo eyeing the desserts.

"So, 'Sakura', I was wondering if you might know where I could find a person called Kailani." Menchi menacingly says while grabbing ahold of my head.

"Cut the crap Menchi, you already know who I am. Save your attitude for later; I assume you are here for a reason, right?"

"Well… actually… ye…" Menchi begins before getting cut off.

"You can tell me after I help Gon and Killua, they are 'paying' customers after all. Honestly where are your manners." I dismiss Menchi, brushing her aside, I turn to Gon and Killua who are arguing over who gets the most cookies.

"Now boys, calm down. There are plenty of cookies to go around. Gon and Killua, I assume you want the usual?"

Already knowing the answer, I set about to bagging up a 20 lb bag of the chocolate ninjas for Killua, and a sack of warm chocolate chip cookies for Gon. I also throw in another bag of cookies for Killua as well, so they don't rough-house inside the store. Gon and Killua having been too preoccupied with trying to figure out what to eat, finally pay attention to their surroundings.

"AH!" Both Gon and Killua point at Menchi. "You're the Onee-Chan from the hunter exam! What are you doing here?"

I jerk my head up slightly surprised that the three know each other. Walking over to Gon I casually ask.

"So boys, how do you two know Menchi here?"

"Well…" Killua begins before Gon butts in and interrupts him.

"We met Onee-chan during the 2nd phase of the hunter exam! There was this big fat guy with Onee-chan that had us catch and roast these giant pigs! Then the next phase she wanted us to make a dish called 'sushi', but no one except for this bald ninja guy knew what it was. She ended up rejecting every dish and failing all of us."

I raise my eyebrow at mention of a bald ninja and a dish called sushi, looking at Menchi asking for an explanation. I'm not surprised when I hear that she failed everyone as well. What does surprise me is what Gon says next.

"Then the chairman got involved and made Onee-chan pick a new test. She ended up having us boil eggs, but they weren't normal eggs these were spider eagle eggs! She dove headfirst off this cliff into a ravine without any warning. I was really surprised when the wind carried her back up with the egg. Then we all had to jump into the ravine and grab our own eggs …. And … then…" Gon continues to rattle off the rest of the exam while I tune him out, after hearing about the spider eagle eggs.

I turn a critical eye to Menchi before getting up and placing a hand onto Gon's shoulder quieting him.

"Here's some milk, on the house. Why don't you go and sit in that corner while us boring grown-ups talk, okay? I'd like to hear more about what happened with you and Menchi when we are done, but she has some urgent business with me first."

Gon and Killua take the milk and walk over to an unused booth at the end of the room while Menchi and I head over to a corner on the other end of the store. The table has a view looking out into the busy streets of Yorknew. After hearing mention that the boys know Menchi, and that they were involved in the hunter exam I have questions to ask her. I work on fixing a cup of coffee for me and her, knowing we will end up having a long discussion. And by discussion, I mean Menchi yelling at me. After setting down our coffee, spoons, some napkins, sugar, creamer and a pastry or two. I ease into the chair and stare into Menchi's green eyes. I can see the anger and hurt clearly reflected in them. Reunions suck.

"So… Onee-chan?" I grin, ignoring Menchi's obvious mounting anger. "Aren't you going to call me Onee-chan like you used to?"

I end up with Menchi's fist firmly implanted in my face and a large bruise swelling on my cheek.

"Geez…. I know you're angry and all, and I deserve it, but is that any way to treat your Senpai? I still have to serve customers you know!" I pout holding my face gingerly.

"You really don't know how to hold back do you? If this is how you treat your friends, I would hate to be an enemy of yours. I'm glad to see that some things haven't changed. Your hair looks good." I smile at Menchi sipping my coffee, humming in delight at the mocha. _Whoever made mocha should be sainted._

"Friend? Friend!? What kind of friend just disappears and I don't hear a thing from her after 10 long damn years? I had given up hope of ever seeing you again! YOU IDIOT!" Menchi angrily stuffs a croissant in her mouth chewing it in her rage, before stopping with a blissful look on her face.

I fist bump under the table, smiling internally that my distraction managed to work. _Phew, I dodged a bullet with that one. Glad to see that food still works as a bribe, even if it is risky considering it being Menchi. If there's one thing I hate, it's being yelled at._

"I really missed you, you know." Menchi sniffs sadly.

"As have I." I say softly.

"I've been following your whole career you know. A one star Gourmet hunter at only 21!? Everyone in the culinary world knows about your sense of taste, your exploits and contributions to the field. You're one of the best in the world; I'm proud of you. Although…, your reputation still precedes you. Still as picky as ever, judging by your weight. I hope you've at least learned to eat your vegetables." I snicker before taking another sip of my coffee. Menchi does the same before her eyes widen slightly.

"Coffee beans from the Republic of East Gorteau? The roast and flavor are superior. How'd you get ahold of these? These are at least ten-thousand jenny per bean! Only the rich can afford these! What's a small pastry shop doing with this stuff? That country has almost completely shut off exports." Menchi eye's me suspiciously.

"Oh, I know a guy from there." I wave off carefree, not wanting her to dig into my past. Menchi continues to look around a little more closely and notices the chocolate seems different than normal every day kind. She also spots a potted vanilla orchid on one of the shelves.

"What's a small store like this doing with high grade ingredients? Why are you even working here? You should be in a 5-star restaurant." She continues pressingly. She knows I'm hiding something.

Sighing, I know I can't keep everything from her. She won't drop it unless I give her something; so I tell her a modified version of what I have been up to.

"Long story short, after you and I parted 10 years ago I ended up traveling all over the place, met some people and came to visit Yorknew. I ended up collapsing on this places doorstep. The husband and wife took me in and nursed me back to health, despite the fact that they could barely feed themselves. They had no money because the husband was injured and unable to work. I found out the mafia was coming to collect money they owed, from taking out a lease, to keep the shop open until the husband could go back to work. I cut a deal with the Mafia and they now leave the place alone. It's the least I can do; I owe the owners of this shop a life debt, so I've been working here the past 2 years. I haven't left since."

"These ingredients are things I've collected from deals I have with traders from my travels. I keep the shop open and running for the couple since they are getting on in age and their health is declining. I'm happy here, people get to eat great desserts and I get to see their smiles." I continue, nodding to where Killua and Gon are happily chatting with chocolate smeared on the corners of their mouths.

"So how did you run into those two." Menchi turns to look at the pair of young kids talking and munching on snacks. Killua is about half way through the 20lb bag of chocolate. "They have a lot of promise, especially that one with the black hair."

"Hmm? Oh Gon? He and Killua came in a couple days ago. They are in Yorknew city to meet up with some friends of theirs on the 1st." I proceed to tell Menchi about how I met Gon and Killua.

* * *

 **3 days earlier**

Listening to a song I had heard on the radio while baking some bread, I am lost in thoughts of the past two years. I wonder what Menchi is up to now. I've followed her career as a famous Gourmet Hunter all these years from the shadows. I'm too much of a coward; I've never been able to make myself contact her. Instead, the years have gone by and I've faded into obscurity, which is fine with me. I don't deserve to be out in the light, scum like me need to stay buried away from the public. I look down at the intricate tattoo's circling each of my wrists, marking me as _his._ I grimace, tugging my sleeves down to hide the marks.

I am knocked out of my reverie by the bell on the door jingling; these two cute kids come into the store spotting the baked goods from outside. One who can't be older than 13 in a green outfit with spikey black hair and another kid around the same age whose hair was silver colored, sulks alongside. I smile at the greedy looks they give the display cases. The one with the silver hair is complaining.

"Hey Gon, I don't think anyone works in this pathetic store, let's go to a better known bakery. There's no way this place has anything good."

"Uhmm… I don't know Killua, my nose says otherwise. I have a feeling this place has some really good treats." Gon's stomach growls loudly before he finally notices me.

"Ah hey miss! Are you guys still open? We didn't see anyone here earlier."

"Why yes we are. Also, I've been here the whole time. What made you think otherwise?" I begin to say, annoyed that the kids didn't sense my presence, not that I have much of one to begin with. I sigh before the one with the fluffy white hair says.

"Hey oba-chan, why don't you have any choco-robokuns?"

 _Oba-chan?_ I think incredulously to myself. I grab his head and twist my fist on it giving him a noogie, while gritting my teeth and grinning an insincere smile.

"I will have you know that I am only 25, and we have choco-ninjachans instead." He glares at me before I release him and he mutters he will take 10 of those. The kid in green says to the silver head.

"Ne, Killua don't be mean to the Onee-chan, otherwise she might not let me buy some cookies." He walks over to you and smiles sweetly.

"Onee-chan, can I please have a dozen chocolate chip cookies?"

I smile down at him and give him a sack full of warm cookies, fresh from the oven, and watch as they sit in a small booth in the corner.

"Hey Gon," The silver haired one says. "These actually aren't bad. In fact they are better than choco-robokuns. I thought this dingy shop wouldn't have anything good."

"Hmm… well I told you not to be deceived by looks." Gon says while munching on a cookie.

"Mmmmm… these taste just like Mito-sans!" He exclaims excitedly.

"Ne, Killua try one!"

He shoves the cookie into Killua's mouth before he can protest. Killua chews it, before his eyes close in silence. He takes a few minutes before he speaks again in wonder, with tears in his icy-blue eyes.

"I've always wondered what a Mother's cooking would taste like. I bet it would be like this. You're lucky Gon to have had Mito-san."

Gon and I both get quiet; I silently wipe away a few tears from the corner of my eyes without the two of them noticing. The sense of loss twists the knife in my heart. I also don't know what it's like to have a mother's love.

* * *

 **Back in the Café with Menchi, August 30th**

"They are also interested in participating in the upcoming auction for a kind of video game that Ging made called 'Greed Island'. Now that I think about it, Gon does looks an awful lot like him." I ponder.

"Oh, that's because that kid is related to him, his last name is Freecss." Menchi says absent-mindedly.

"Eh!?" I drop the croissant I had midway to my mouth. "He's related to that jerk? Ugh… no wonder they look alike. Although Gon is way nicer than him…." _I wonder why Gon is so interested in that video game of Ging's,_ _could he be trying to find his Dad?_

"So how do you know Ging?" Menchi presses, "Most people haven't heard of him unless they are part of the Hunter Association's inner workings."

"Ugh now that's a nightmare I don't want to remember. I'll tell you another time. All I will say is he dragged me into helping him make Greed Island." I can feel a headache coming on at the mere mention of Ging's name.

"Let's not tell Gon that I know his Dad, it's more than I can deal with right now. Also, I don't want it being mentioned to the Hunter Association." _I don't want_ _that_ _getting out._ I think back referring to a particularly embarrassing memory associated with Ging.

"Getting back on topic, what brings you to my illustrious establishment? What was that urgent business you were here on? I saw you holding that official piece of paper from the Hunter Association. Why were you looking for me? I know it's not just to catch up for old times' sake." I say to Menchi trying to direct her attention back off of my past.

"I have come here not only to find you, because you're my friend, but because I have been sent as a messenger. The Hunter Association is very interested in inducting you into their ranks. Of course, you'd have to pass the hunter exam next year, but I know that'd be a piece of cake for you. No pun intended."

"Personally, I know you'd make an excellent hunter, you could easily be a 2 star Gourmet if you wanted to be. However, I am not exactly sure why that old coot of a Chairman and Linne Hors-d'oeuvre are so interested in you." Menchi continues.

"So why haven't you taken the exam? You have so much potential. Is it because you are avoiding me?" Menchi frowns at the idea.

I stiffen not only because she is partially right about me avoiding her, but because she's being snoopy again.

"I'm going to have to decline. As I said to you 10 years ago, I don't have any interest in being a Gourmet Hunter; that dream set sail a long time ago. I'm happy where I'm at. I've had my fill of globe-trotting, and, as you can see, I'm not in the shape I used to be. Not to mention I can't use nen…." I mutter that last bit so softly Menchi doesn't hear me saying it, tugging on my sleeves to cover my wrists more.

"I'm just going to keep coming back here every day to pester you to join." Menchi threatens.

"Argh!… I'll think about it, Alright? I'm not promising anything though!" I say reluctantly knowing it's the only way to get her off my back. She's more boar headed than I am. Trying to change the subject, I remember Gon mentioning something interesting.

"So…. what's this I hear about you running into a bald headed ninja and sushi?" I say in a teasing voice, slyly covering a grin under the guise of eating a pastry. I am able to catch just a hint of a blush on her cheeks, as she is clearly flustered at the question. "Well go on, spill. I want to hear all the juicy details."

"Ehhh… so it really is the same guy?" I say in disbelief. "Must be fate that brought you two together again~" I tease, giving her no mercy. "So what does he look like now? Is he handsome, tall and rugged? What's his name?"

"H-how should I know? It's not that I like him or anything." Menchi's face flushes red. "That idiot isn't even worth looking at; he insulted his countries dish, and ruined my exam!"

"Hmmm… I think he sounds interesting. If you don't want him maybe I should go after him instead. Those kids took the same exam as him right? I'm going to go ask them what they can tell me about him. I bet Gon knows, he makes friends with everyone." I start to stand intending on going to ask Gon about the bald ninja before I hear a shunnk sound. My sleeve is pinned to the table from a large Kitchen knife.

"Hey what gives Menchi, get your knife out of my uniform." I nervously tug on Menchi's hand hoping to pull the knife off. I can't risk letting her see my wrists. I suddenly feel a killer vibe from her direction. Turning my head slowly to look into her face I see that I've taken my joking too far.

"Look I wasn't really interested in the guy I swear. I just wanted to mess around in your love life. Erk… I said that out loud didn't I?"

"You did." Menchi says pulling her knife from my sleeve and pointing it at my face instead. "Don't bring up Hanzo again." Nodding nervously I change topics instead, hiding my torn sleeve behind my back. _Note to self: Menchi is a Tsundere bordering on Yandere._

"Gon says you guys went diving for spider eagle eggs? What made you chose that as a test for aspiring hunters?" I ask curiously. "Were you perhaps thinking of me?" I batter my eyelashes in mock approval.

"Actually… I was." Menchi says somewhat embarrassed tapping her index fingers together nervously.

"It was a good way to test their resolve and guts. I also wanted to show some of those applicants up. They made fun of Gourmet hunters and I couldn't stand it. I thought it was a good way to put them into their place."

"I'm honored." I give a mock bow. "On a serious note, I am glad that you are keeping the spirit alive and challenging people's perceptions of what food can be. It's also good you put those 'chickens' in their place. Pun intended." I grin at her, before continuing taking on a serious look.

"Most people today lack backbone. The association has been putting out some bad hunters lately; a lot of them are turning to the mafia. It's concerning." I look to Menchi out of the corner of my eye. "There's a big auction coming up and the mafia are getting skittish, this hasn't happened before. I have a feeling something big is going to end up going down soon. Yorknew isn't as safe as it once was. Shadows are lurking where there once weren't any. You can feel the death hanging around this city, can't you?"

"I can. Do you think someone is planning on robbing the auction?" Menchi says lost in thought.

"The auction?! Are you crazy? There are only a handful of people who could even pull that off. They'd have to be insane. They would be making enemies of every single mafia member in the world. Surely you aren't thinking _they_ will show up do you?" I say back in shock. The commotion catches the attention of Killua and Gon, who have been off in their own little world.

"Maybe that's what the Chairman was picking up on. I better let him know what's going on. My senses keep telling me to abandon ship. You really should think about leaving as well." Menchi says concerned. The hair on the back of my neck rises at this admission.

"Maybe, I better tell the Mr. and Mrs. to go on a vacation to Whale Island. I hear the weather is lovely this time of year. I'd pack up and leave shop until after the auction is over but there's a massive catering order due the 1st. I can't just leave; the store would go out of business if I dropped the ball." I fret nervously. Remembering Gon and Killua are in the room I turn to face them. They turn around embarrassed at having been caught eavesdropping.

"Boys," I say. "How much have you heard?"

"U-uhmm… from around when the mafia were mentioned." Gon says honestly, Killua facepalms.

"Good. Listen I know you boys are here for the auction, but I really think you need to leave town. It's not safe here. You can always try again for that video game okay? Pinky-promise me you will leave the city." After getting their reluctant promises, I hurry them out of the store before locking the door and closing the shop, despite it only being the early afternoon.

"You don't really think the Phantom Troupe is going to be here do you? I mean they haven't been seen in 3 years, maybe they are all dead." I turn around looking at Menchi with frightened eyes.

"Unfortunately, according to the association and bounty boards they are still alive and are a class A bounty. Definitely not something I would want to get involved with. They just haven't been as active as they were when the Kurta were massacred. The public doesn't need to know this however; this is just between you and me." Menchi says crossing her arms.

* * *

 **AN: So here is the next chapter. There's a lot going on now, the intrigue continues!? How did Kai get those marks on her wrists and her involvement in the Mafia? Are Gon and Killua going to keep their promise? Will the phantom troupe finally appear? Find out next time; same hunter time, same hunter channel!**

 **Things are going to start getting more intense from the next chapter onward. I will try to balance it out with bits of humor but there will be things that are probably going to upset people or trigger them. It's going to get dark so bring a flashlight.**

 **I have tossed around the idea of having Kai end up working with Ging, reluctantly on her part, to create Greed Island to add some humor and more backstory to the plot. They never mentioned what the names of the other creators were that make up the word Greed Island. You're probably thinking oceanwaves101, you're crazy, "K" isn't in the word Greed Island. You're right it isn't but I have a solution thought up for that as well. There was more backstory regarding the two than what I just mentioned in passing in this chapter, but I just felt that I couldn't insert it into the chapter without messing up the flow of the story as it doesn't really have a place.**

 **I guess I could do it as an omake if you guys are interested enough. Leave some reviews if you are interested in possibly hearing about it.**


	4. Bloody Dreams

**Chapter 4: Bloody Dreams**

 **Content Warning: Blood, Gore, Minor Language**

 **August 30th**

* * *

Standing with my back to the door, the afternoon light casts shadows across my body, leaving Menchi standing in the light, the sun resting against her skin. Something reflecting in the light catches me in the eye. I notice it coming from Menchi's thigh.

"Is that what I think it is?" I say hopefully.

"Huh? Oh… yeah it is. I still have it after all these years. It's my most prized possession." Menchi states proudly.

"May I?" I ask eyeing the chef knife.

"Sure." Menchi says like it's no big deal, but I can tell by the way she keeps it close on her person that it means a lot.

Reaching out to take the knife gently from her, I twist it this way and that in my hand, letting the light catch the edge of the blade. The steel that once used to be pockmarked and rusted in places has been polished to a smooth, shiny surface. The handle that was splintering wood has been replaced with sturdier non-porous plastic, preventing bacteria from growing in the surface. A red ribbon is wrapped around the end of the handle; the significance of the ribbon is not lost on me. Testing the edge of the knife on my index finger, I accidentally slice it open like a rookie. The knife is wickedly sharp, the cut clean and painless. Staring into my reflection on the blade, I think back to when I found it at the age of 6. I shudder briefly at the memory tensing up, forgetting that my bloody fingerprints are coating the surface. I then relax, smiling to myself slightly, thinking of how it changed my life for the better.

"You've done a very good job taking care of it. I see you've even improved it." Coming back to my senses I wipe the blade clean before handing it back to her.

Walking over to the sink to wash my hand, I stick my bloody finger in my mouth; tracing the sliced flesh with my tongue, savoring the metallic taste of iron in my blood. My eyes glaze over slightly and my brows furrow in confusion, a migraine suddenly hitting, causing me to lurch to the side crashing into a table. Menchi rushes to my side in concern. I shake her off saying

"I'm okay. I just got dizzy suddenly. I'll talk with you tomorrow evening more about what's going on with the Mafia. I need to talk to the owners about taking a vacation." I wave her off, before closing up the shop for the night, leaving it a mess. _I'll deal with it tomorrow._ _I don't feel all that great._

* * *

After being all but shoved out of the store, Menchi picks up her phone and contacts the Hunter Association.

"Yeah, it's me. Tell the Chairman I've found her. I've run into a bit of a problem though, she's not interested. About that other issue, there's definitely something going on amongst the mafia. Something big is about to happen and it's not good…. Yeah, I'll keep an eye out…. Uhuh… yes… Talk to you tomorrow."

Hanging up the phone, Menchi lets out a sigh, stretching her arms above her head before walking to the hotel she's staying in for the night. _What's going on with Kai? She's definitely hiding something. Every time I tried to bring up her past she changed subjects as quickly as possible. What did she mean about cutting a deal with the Mafia? What's she doing? Why doesn't she want the association to know about her and Ging being associates? Why was she so skittish when the Phantom Troupe was mentioned? I know they are evil bastards and all, but that reaction was a bit exaggerated. I'm going to have to demand answers from her, even if I have to beat them out of her._

Menchi cracks her knuckles before her mood changes from brooding to mischievous, wondering what 5 star restaurant she can terrorize with her fussy sense of taste for dinner tonight.

* * *

 **Later that night**

I was scavenging for food when a reflection caught me in the eye. Lying in a garbage pile in Meteor city, the knife was considered junk just like everything else around it. It was so dull it could barely even cut through dirt. The handle, too big for my small hands, was so cracked and dry it gave me splinters the moment I picked it up. The metal, although dull, gleamed in the light; catching my reflection on the tarnished surface for the first time. Mirrors were a precious commodity in Meteor City; the water was too murky to show a reflection. I had never seen a reflection of myself up until that point. I saw wide, anxious blue-grey eyes staring back. Wild, tangled brown hair that made the rats nests in Meteor City look tidy, framing a scrawny, sunken face with high cheekbones jutting out where there should be baby fat. I was half-emaciated looking, but I was better off than most. Months of caked on dirt and mud covered the strange face looking back. The face black with grime, covered up multiple scratches and scars. The only clean parts of my face were where tear tracks cut through the grime leaving small rivers of sickly, pale skin uncovered.

Suddenly conscious of my appearance, I set down my unexpected treasure, turning small hands over to look at my nails. The same dirt and grime caked, cracked and torn fingernails. Fingertips and palms covered in thick callouses tougher than leather. I touch my tangled hair feeling it stiff with dirt and pieces of garbage littered in it. Determination crossing my face, I take the knife in my unsteady hands and cut my hair short. Dirty brown strands fluttering down into the ground, before the wind picked it up carrying it away. The haircut is anything but clean; lopsided and jagged from the poor edge. Glass was better at cutting, but it was a dual edged blade, often injuring the user just as much as whatever it was used to cut. I turn the knife to look in my reflection seeing my hair was uneven. I am about to try to fix the ragged edge, before I notice a shadow sneaking up behind me. It's the bully that often beat me up to steal the scraps of food I was good at scavenging. Turning quickly around while hiding the knife behind my back, I frown up at her.

"What do you want Haruka? I don't have any food."

Haruka, a big-boned 10 year old girl with dirty pink hair, a ruddy complexion and a constant scowl on her face looks down on me. She towers over my short height by at least 8 inches.

"I doubt that bitch. I saw you hiding something behind your back, what is it? Hand it over and you won't get hurt." Haruka sneers down at me, holding a piece of glass in her hand.

"I found a sort of shiny tin can and cut my hair." I lie, reluctantly showing her a can and a glass shard I hastily grabbed nearby. She frowns at me like I'm an idiot.

Without provocation she tackles me, shoving my head face first into the garbage, pinning my scrawny body down with her larger frame. I thrash against her, pounding my fists on her back uselessly, panic setting in at being trapped. She nicks my neck with her glass shard. I can feel my hot blood trickle down my neck and drip into the ground below.

Something inside of me snaps and I grab the knife that is hidden under my body, swinging it blindly. The tip of the knife plunges into something like jelly, and Haruka's screams turn shrill and pain filled. She stops holding me down to grab at her face, blood pours down from where her right eye should be. Instead of being terrified at the sight of blood I grin. Advancing on her with the knife and my newfound bravery, I start swinging hazardously. I catch her cheek and arm with the edge, tearing jagged shallow cuts into her skin. Enticed by her frightened whimpering, I creep forward further wanting to do more damage. I raise the knife and go straight for her jugular, hacking away with the dull knife until blood sprays into the air, raining down crimson droplets into the surrounding area. My hand is drenched with her blood as her body gives its last spasm before finally stilling in death. Bringing my fingers up to my lips, I lick the blood off of them smiling psychotically.

"Say Haruka… your blood tastes pretty good." I laugh madly, licking the blood off of the knife. "I wonder if the rest of you tastes as nice." Raising my knife once again I aim for her arm…

* * *

I wake up screaming in the middle of the night, thunder crashing loudly outside. My body is drenched in cold sweat, the blankets and sheets plastered to my skin. My body shivers. I'm not sure if it's from the dream or the cold. Glancing at the clock glowing red in the dark, I see it's 3:24 am. I wipe my face with the back of my hand biting my lip.

 _That was just a dream right…? It felt too real._

My chest heaves heavily, my heart racing. I turn on my bedside lamp grimacing at how gross I feel. I get out of bed stripping away all the bedding and tossing it on the floor. I put clean sheets on the bed before tossing my damp clothes into the corner of the room with the dirty bedding. Walking into the shower to get rid of the chill and creeps I feel over my body, I try to forget the nightmare. My lavender-vanilla body wash helps to soothe my nerves some. I bite my lip nervously, tears starting to fall from my eyes. I sit there crying, the water washing away my sorrow and sense of loss. I haven't had a dream that bad in years.

Stepping out of the shower, body still shuddering, I wrap myself in a towel before wandering to my nightstand to pick my phone off the charger. I walk to the kitchen table numbly sitting on the chair, my eyes rimmed in red. Looking through blurry eyes, I pull up the contact list, my thumb hovering hesitantly over one in particular.

 _Should I really contact him again? Last time I did it wasn't pleasant, the price was heavy too… but, my memories are coming back…._ I bite down harder on my lip, enough to draw blood. I push the call button but the phone rings and then goes to voicemail.

"Hey, it's me Kailani… I… need to see you as soon as possible. My memories are coming back."

I turn my phone off, and hold my arm over my eyes. Drained, at the thought that I have to see him again I try to go back to sleep but it's useless _. I might as well head into work since I'm already awake._

* * *

Getting reluctantly dressed in my culinary outfit, I grab my keys before locking the door and driving to the bakery. It's pouring outside, the rain matching my mood. I step into the store realizing the place is a mess. Flour is all over, the coffee having gone cold in the brewer, garbage that never got taken out. Heaving a heavy sigh, I grab a rag and a bucket of soapy water and start cleaning the tables and cooking surfaces, flour getting on my uniform. I go to the coffee pot and dump it out in the sink. _What a waste of beans…._ Looking around I realize that despite feeling like shit, I really should have cleaned up. Not only did the pastries in the display case not get put away; a lot of them went stale because they weren't sold. Grumbling about profit losses I drag a garbage bag over and start tossing away the useless pastries. I'll have to pay the food losses out of my own pocket.

 _I'll have to work extra hard today to restock everything. I also have that large catering order due tomorrow. I suppose that's not a bad thing. I've had too much free time on my hands. I'm not keeping my mind occupied enough. Maybe Menchi is right, I should be working someplace more challenging. Would being a hunter really be so bad?_

Snorting, I shake that idea right out of my head. Having finished removing the old pastries, I carelessly brush the crumbs off on my apron, smearing some frosting on it. I start to sweep the floor before mopping and then wiping down all the counters and windows. The amount of filth that came off astounds me.

 _Killua wasn't kidding about this place being a dump. When did I get so complacent? At least it looks way better now. I could use a cup of coffee though._

Yawning, I glance around satisfied that the surfaces in the front of the shop now gleam with cleanliness, even the dusty windows have been wiped so that it looks like there isn't any glass separating the store from the storm raging outside. I shuffle over to the coffee maker after grinding some of the beans Menchi was commenting about, putting them in the filter before letting it run. The machine makes hissing noises while belching out steam, coffee slowly starting to trickle out of the bottom and into the pot. The aroma of fresh coffee teases my nose and makes me feel more alert. I head to the back to get some dough started for bread. Before long, I have a cup of coffee in my mug that reads: _Kiss the Cook_. I smile at the gift, a joke from one of my friends. Sipping slowly on the hot coffee, I let the caffeine work its magic, staring out into the darkness. I can feel the bags under my eyes.

* * *

 **AN: It's been a while. Had some writers block and confusion trying to get the timeline right.**


	5. The Prophecy

**Chapter 5: The Prophecy**

* * *

 **August 31st, 8am**

* * *

At Lingon National Airport a private zeppelin touches down onto the airfield. A small fleet of private cars drive onto the tarmac. Out of the zeppelin come a group of 7 individuals and 10 canines. They walk to the cars, the dogs and humans clustered around a young woman. The woman steps into the car with the 5 other people taking point around it, before the cars whisk the occupants away from the suburbs through the desert towards the city of Yorknew.

In the car is the Heiress to the Nostrade Estate and Mafia, Neon Nostrade. She is in her mid-teens, with long cerulean hair tied back into a ponytail. She is wearing a long white skirt and light pink long sleeved blouse with striped bands on the arms. Her head bodyguard, a man named Dalzollene, is sitting in the back seat with her.

"Here is the batch for September." Dalzollene hands a large stack of papers to Neon.

"Isn't this a bit thicker than normal?" Neon says eyeing the stack of papers suspiciously.

"Yes… that is correct. You have a good eye Lady Nostrade. Mr. Rottfelli and Mr. Trink wanted their fortunes told as well." Dalzollene says clasping his hands in front of him with a straight face.

"I warned you I'd quit if you added anymore!" Neon huffs, bending over and resting her chin on her hand. She looks away from Dalzollene and out the window, giving him the cold shoulder.

"I'm sorry, but they're close friends of your Father." Dalzollene says although it's easy for Neon to tell that he doesn't truly mean it.

"And where is Daddy?" Neon asks clenching her hands into fists.

"He has a meeting he can't mi.."

"Oh please, he's with a woman. You and I both know that, stop trying to appease me." Neon cuts Dalzollene off rudely. She picks up the cars' built in phone and dials a number.

"Daddy, it's me…. No. I quit. You can't talk your way out of this one! Uh-uh. No! Uhm… Well… I dunno. Okay, but this is the **last time.** If you go back on your work I **really** will quit if you break your promise." Neon hangs up the phone then throws her hands up in excitement.

"YAY Daddy's going to get me stuff! Heh, heh! What a good deal!" Neon exclaims excitedly.

"Now that that's settled let's get this over with." Neon picks up the stack of papers again and activates her nen ability, Lovely Ghostwriter: Angelic Auto-Writing. Her right hand moves by itself almost as if being possessed while her eyes go blank and soulless. Finished papers being tossed and scattered around the car. Within 8 minutes the stack of papers are finished and she tosses the last one and her pencil to Dalzollene.

"All done!... The auction doesn't start until tomorrow night, right? I want to go shopping until then." Neon says.

"Very well Miss, we will be more than happy to accompany you." Dalzollene says smoothly, smiling with his eyes closed.

* * *

25 miles away from the abandoned outskirts of Yorknew city in the Gordeau Desert, a group of people cross the desert terrain. Scrub and cacti dot the arid, dusty landscape. A mountain range in the distance and the city can be seen from afar. A lengthy, lone 2 lane highway snakes through the desert. The road is empty except for a small fleet of cars coming in quickly from the distance.

The fleet of cars hastily passes the group of people traveling along the road. Neon does not spare the group a glance. Kurapika is following in a car behind Neon's with Melody and Basho. Had he known at the time, he would have gone after the group of people, members of the Phantom Troupe.

The members of this small group are composed of Machi, Nobunaga, Feitan, and Franklin. The wind howls making it hard to hear one another. Dust and sand attack their exposed faces as the wind picks it up and assaults them with the irritating stings.

Nobunaga asks. "How long has it been since all members were summoned?"

"It's been 3 years, two months and 9 days since we all last met. Two members, number 8 and 4 were replaced since then. It not like I counting or anything." Feitan states.

"Machi, are you sure Hisoka will come today?" Franklin asks.

"Who knows? Don't ask me. I told him to come. I don't know what that creepy clown will do." She says irritated.

Feitan says. "I no like Hisoka. Why Chrollo let him do as he want?"

"Cause he's good. His bungee gum is well thought out; it makes him difficult to fight." Nobunaga replies as he scratches his chest.

"Are you implying Chrollo afraid of Hisoka? Apologize, you rude." Feitan replies to Nobunaga.

"I didn't say that." Nobunaga answers.

"You give him too much credit Nobunaga." Franklin replies back tersely, irritated at Nobunaga.

"I guess anyone can talk big." Nobunaga spits back. Tension rises amongst the two and they decide to get into a fight while Machi and Feitan continue to walk ahead ignoring them.

"What do you think Chrollo is planning, asking all of us here for?" Machi asks to Feitan half seriously.

"We are thieves. We here to steal." He says raising an eyebrow to Machi as if she was stupid enough to seriously ask him that question.

"Yeah, but what do you think he wants to steal? He loves books. I bet its some old, rare ones." Machi ponders.

"Maybe it video game. I hear there rare one at auction. Most expensive one there is. Most dangerous too. It sound interesting." Feitan muses.

"Well, I guess he will tell us when we get there. Hey where are Nobunaga and Franklin?" Machi glances over her shoulder seeing them behind her in the distance. She sighs exasperated, before grabbing a needle from her pincushion, tossing it at the two figures still fighting. She uses her nen threads to lasso the two of them together before giving the thread a tug, jerking them in her direction.

"Come on you boneheads! We are going to be late if you keep up your sparring. We still have several hours before we get there." She yells in their direction in frustration.

* * *

 **In an abandoned part of Yorknew on the outskirts of the city: August 31st, Noon**

Chrollo Lucilfer looks slowly at each of his 12 gathered spiders.

"I am sure you're all wondering why I've called all of you here. Our next target is an underground auction. It's not just any auction. We are going after the biggest of them all. The Yorknew Auction which runs from September 1st through the 10th. Billions of jenny worth of goods will be concentrated in a small area and we're going to take **all** of it."

"But Danchō, that auction is run by the entire mafia community. We'd be making enemies of all of em." Says a large cave man-like person.

"Are you scared Uvogin?" Chrollo asks tauntingly, revealing nothing on his face.

"Fuck no! I'm ecstatic. Give the word Danchō; let us soak the ground in their blood. I'm ready." The man named Uvogin grins savagely, pleasure and blood-lust burning in his eyes."

"Before the auction tomorrow, I want 4 volunteers along with Machi and Shizuku to come with me to a heist tonight as an early celebration of our success. There's a jewelry store in downtown Yorknew that has a book I'm interested in. Those interested in the heist tonight meet a block from 5th Ave in Core Park, at 4 am. We'll walk to the back of the store from there. Try to blend in. Until then, you all are free to do as you please as long as you keep a low profile. We don't need the Mafia catching wind of us early. You are dismissed."

* * *

 **Yorknew City 1:30pm**

"I'm tired and hungry." Neon plops down on a bench after having been shopping on 5th Avenue for the past 4 hours. Her attendants struggling under the weight of her bags of clothes, while her bodyguards Kurapika, Melody, Basho, Dalzollene and Squala keep watch over the boss.

"Lady Nostrade, I have a list of many fine dining establishments that we would be more than happy to escort you to." Dalzollene smoothly says, showing her a phone with a list of pre-approved restaurants that were safe for her to eat at.

"No. No! Nooo! These are all boring formal restaurants that Daddy takes me to all the time. I want something different. Are there any bakeries in this city? Pastries! I want pastries! If I don't get to eat what I want I'm going to starve. You don't want me to starve now do you?" Neon whines and pouts but the underlying threat, of her telling her Father, doesn't go unnoticed by Dalzollene.

"Kurapika, come here for a minute." Dalzollene motions Kurapika over to his location. "Can you find a nearby bakery on this map using your dowsing chain?"

"Yes, I can sir. But, are you sure it's wise to take the Boss somewhere that hasn't been deemed as safe for her to eat at?" Kurapika asks questioningly.

"I'll admit this isn't how I'd like this to turn out, but we've been tasked with keeping Miss Neon happy. I can have Squala test the goods for poison with his dogs." Dalzollene says hesitantly before pulling out a map of the city.

Kurapika summons his dowsing chain and holds it over the map; closing his eyes and putting all his concentration into his nen. Dalzollene watches as the ball begins to move onto a direction not too far from their current location. Kurapika opens his eyes and moves the ball slightly to get a better judgement as to where the location of the shop is. The ball hovers on a small store tucked out of the way, just a half block from 5th Ave. It is around the corner from the famous jewelry store Tiffany and Co.

"This one here isn't too far from our location, and it's practically on 5th Ave so it must be high class enough for Miss Nostrade's taste." Kurapika states, withdrawing his chain from the map and deactivating his nen ability.

"Lady Nostrade can kill some time in Tiffany and Co. while you, I and Squala check out the bakery. I can question the baker and Squala can check for poison. Basho and Melody should be able to adequately protect Miss Neon in the jewelry store since it's already very well secured." Dalzollene says folding the map up and pocketing it, before calling over the private limo they are using.

Despite it only being a 10 minute walk to the bakery from their current location, the heiress to the Nostrade estate couldn't be left to walk around in the open streets, where a sniper could easily take her out.

"Lady Nostrade if you will please come with me we will get you your pastries, while you do some shopping in this cities famous jewelry store Tiffany and Company." Dalzollene says smoothly, opening the door to the limo and guiding her into the back seat, followed by her attendant's and himself, before giving the location to the driver.

"Fifth Avenue and 57th Street." He barks at the driver.

* * *

Because of the atrocious traffic that is commonplace in Yorknew City, the 10 minute drive turns into 30 minutes. Neon becomes increasingly belligerent and whiny about the wait and her hunger. Dalzollene bites the inside of his cheek, used to Neon's antics but she still manages to get on his nerves. Heaving a sigh he thinks to himself. _Somedays Mr. Nostrade can't pay me enough to deal with his daughter._ Finally the car pulls to the curb and stops. On their side of the road they can see Tiffany and Co. and around the corner from them should be the bakery.

Dalzollene gets on the phone with Squala who is riding with the rest of the bodyguards following closely in the car behind them.

"Basho and Melody, you go with Lady Neon and her attendants to Tiffany's. You, Kurapika and I will go check out the bakery to make sure it's safe for Lady Neon to eat at. Bring your dogs. Move out."

"Well this is where the shop is supposed to be, but I don't see anything." Dalzollene looks up from his map.

"It's over here." Kurapika's voice drifts slightly from down an alley.

Dalzollene strolls to where Kuripika is. There is indeed a small bakery tucked away in the alley, there are only a few windows. "What a dump, why the hell is this near 5th Ave. I was expecting a classy as fuck establishment. We can't bring Neon to this place."

Inside the store can be heard the sounds of giggling and happy woofs. Squala's dogs must have already made it inside.

"H-hang on you guys! I have more treats for you, no need to push. NO! WAIT! AAAHHH!" The sound of a crash, more barking and high pitched laughter can be heard.

"What in the world….?"Dalzollene and Kurapika rush into the store at the loud commotion, while Squala turns sweating nervously. They come across Kailani sprawled over the floor, a Saint Bernard, Dalmatian and Jack-Russel Terrier piled on top of her body. Fur coats her uniform as they lick her face and gorge themselves on a spilled bowl of dog biscuits. Dalzollene moves over to talk to Squala about keeping his dogs on shorter leashes, and the repercussions for letting them run wild.

At the bell chime from the door; the young woman looks up at the 3 new visitors, distracted momentarily from the fur-babies lying all over her.

"Ah, umm… excuse me for being like this. I swear the store isn't normally like this. These cute puppies wandered in from the street and I was giving them some treats when they got a little over eager and pushed me over. Welcome to Bluebird Pastries my name is Kailani. What may I do for you fine gentlemen today?"

"Okay puppies, I need to get up now, can you please get off of me and go sit by the front windows?" I whisper quietly to them. I finally manage to get the dogs off me and stand up, righting my uniform and brushing my hair back from my face. The dogs go sit quietly by the front window. I grimace at the dog hair on my uniform, but smile as I remember playing with the fur-babies. _This can't be up to health code, but I can't find it in my heart to be mad at them. I at least have a spare uniform in the back room._ I clear my throat and turn around to look more closely at the 3 men standing in my small store.

There is a young blond man in a suit standing in front of me while two older men seem to be having a heated discussion with one another. In the quiet of the bakeshop it is easy to hear what they are saying.

"You do realize that you could have injured the lady with your carelessness. You need to keep those dogs of yours on a tighter leash. Imagine if she ended up suing us." Dalzollene says to Squala.

"I swear I've never seen my dogs act like this before. I don't know what got into them; they've always obeyed me before. Wait… why is it suddenly so quiet?" Squala whispers back to Dalzollene. They both turn around to look where I am now standing with a raised eyebrow, and glance for the dogs. "That's weird… why are they all lined up like that. I didn't command them to do it."

Dalzollene's and my eyes both widen slightly when we see one another. I bow deeply when I realize who it is.

"Mr. Dalzollene I am so Sorry! I had no idea you were coming to visit. I thought my debt was paid off. To what pleasure do I owe this visit?" I nervously twist my hands feeling my face pale.

"Ah… Kailani, I didn't realize this was where you worked. We're here to buy pastries for Lady Nostrade. We came to check to make sure the place was safe for her to eat before buying anything. She insisted on baked goods. This store was the closest location."

I jerk back feeling insulted that I would poison my customers. I can feel my temper getting the best of me. "Well… I can assure _you_ that I don't have a bad habit of poisoning my customer base. You are welcome to interrogate me all you wish regarding the safety of the food. I assume those dogs aren't just strays either, am I right?" I say coldly, standing up straight and glaring into his eyes.

Dalzollene breaks out into laughter cutting the tension in the room. "You're never going to forgive me for that are you?"

"No." I say frowning. Sighing heavily, I let my anger pass.

"So… you are here to make sure the food is safe for your charge. Let the dogs sniff and test the food if you want. However, I am charging you for each one they test. I can't sell those to the public afterwards, and it's not up for debate. Just don't give the dogs the chocolate croissants or the handmade chocolates. The poor things might get sick if they accidentally eat it. Do you know what your ladyship even wants?"

"I… uhh..ah… No…" Dalzollene face palms embarrassed. Squala snickers quietly to himself.

"I will call Melody and have her ask what Boss would like to eat." Kurapika says pulling out his phone.

"What do you mean she has disappeared?!" This garners the attention of everyone in the room.

Just then the bell jingles, a female teenager with cerulean colored hair tied into a high ponytail using a yellow bandanna steps in, followed by two older females and a big buff dude after that. The small store growing crowded by having so many people in it.

"Lady Nostrade thank goodness you are safe! Are you hurt anywhere?" Dalzollene hovers by her side checking her for damage nervously. One of the dogs lies down and covers its eyes with a paw waiting for the yelling to begin. Dalzollene turns to Basho about to yell at him, but before he can do so Basho says.

"Don't worry I was with her the whole time. Neon snuck out using her attendants and the back exit. It popped us out right back here near the alley." Neon sticks her tongue out at him and pouts at her adventure being cut short.

"This place is a total dump, Daddy wouldn't approve of me eating here." Neon eyes the small store that has dog hair on the ground and all over the shop worker. The pastries in the display case and the smell catch her attention. "Which is why it's perfect!" She claps her hands and runs up to the display case and starts to eye the baked goods.

"Lady Nostrade please wait, we haven't had time to make sure this store is safe for you to eat at yet. If you would give us just 5 minutes we can verify the food for you. Kurapika check to make sure Kailani isn't lying. Squala have your dog's sniff the cases for poison please." Dalzollene says while guiding Neon to sit in a booth, sitting next to her to make sure she can't escape.

Kurapika leads me away from the group into a corner of the store, before materializing his dowsing chain ability. He holds out a ball on the end of a chain dangling from his ring finger. I notice that there are other chains connected to his hand and other fingers but they aren't active.

"Have you poisoned the food at this store today?" Kurapika says placing a firm stare at my face.

"Wow, going to cut right to the chase. I can appreciate that in a man." I smile up at him. "You're a little too young for me though." I chuckle inwardly at him as his face blushes.

"To answer your question, no, I have not poisoned the food. It's safe to eat. And before you ask, I'm the only one here today. I baked it all fresh this morning and haven't left the store. No one has been able to tamper with it. I'm the only one that's had contact with it beside those dogs of yours."

"Do you harbor any ill will towards Lady Nostrade?"

"No, I didn't even know who she was until today." I say blandly.

"Is the food here good enough for Miss Neon to eat?" He asks again, although he is a little off balance from my earlier comment. _It could be fun to mess with him a little. He seems so uptight._

"Taste is subjective. If you have a crappy sense of taste you couldn't tell. If it helps, the items here are all made with the highest quality and sometimes the rarest ingredients, although don't let that get out. This may look like a crappy shop, but we are next to 5th Ave for a reason. Menchi herself was just here and she liked the food. She's notoriously hard to please; although, I am sure you know that yourself firsthand now don't you?" The corner of my mouth turns up and I smile at him innocently even though it's anything but.

"Does this bakery have any shady ties?" He asks.

"Define Shady." I say back being a smart ass.

"Does your business have ties with the underworld, such as the Mafia, black market or things such as money-laundering?" He says irritated.

"Yes, to the Mafia but only briefly and it's nothing sinister. The owner took out a loan with the mafia to keep the place open when he was too injured to work. I cut a deal with them and the rest is history. Nothing shady other than that."

"Is that how you know Dalzollene?" Kurapika presses further.

"Yes, but what does this have to do with the food? If you want the history you are going to have to get it from him, not me. He doesn't want it dug into any more than I do, so I suggest you leave me and your boss alone." I say amused. I stare intently at the little chain-ball hoping for some kind of reaction. Not even a twitch. I guess that means I passed the interrogation, time to turn the tables.

"So have you told Gon and his friend Killua that you are working for the Mafia yet?" I say casually, watching Kurapika's face closely while abruptly changing the subject. I notice with satisfaction that he twitches and takes a slight step back, a look of confusion on his face.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about." Kurapika turns his head, looks away and clears his throat.

"Don't be coy. You have a terrible poker-face. They've come to the store the past few days. I'm friends with them, so relax. They told me they are in Yorknew for the auction and that they are friends with a 'Kurapika and Leorio'. I think it's safe to assume that the Kurapika they are talking about is you. It's an unusual name." I say smugly.

"Although… I'm afraid you won't be able to meet them anymore…." I let the words hang ominously in the air.

"I made them promise to leave Yorknew. I have a feeling something bad is going to happen to this town within the next day or so. There are whispers of something big happening at the auction. I'm not supposed to say this, but rumors are it might be the Phantom Troupe. If Gon or Killua end up breaking their promises to me; please make sure you tell them to get the hell out of here. They're too sweet to get caught up in something as nasty as that." My voice changes to being more soft-spoken and concerned.

Kurapika suddenly gets tense at the mention of the Phantom Troupe. His whole body goes rigid and he clenches his fist. His body starts to tremble and his breathing becomes ragged, his eyes turn red underneath his contacts. Pure blood-lust and hate radiates off his body. I flinch back from him.

"Hey Kurapika are you okay? I know the Phantom Troupe is bad, but it's just a rumor." I hesitantly place a hand on his shoulder; he startles and grabs my neck with his hand lifting me slightly off the ground, starting to choke the life out of me. My throat is being crushed and after the initial shock wears off, I kick him in the balls out of instinct. He drops me out of surprise and I gasp for breath before putting distance between him and myself. I watch him warily while rubbing my neck.

"What the hell is your problem!? Choking me for no reason." I yell at him garnering the attention of everyone else in the shop. The dogs start barking loudly and growl at Kurapika.

"What's the problem here?" Dalzollene stands up from the booth he was sitting in with Neon.

"The problem _here_ is your lackey tried to kill me. And not that it matters but his chain-ball thingy says the food is fine. I'm going into the back of the shop. Ring the bell when you know what you want." I say as I stomp away to remove myself from that volatile situation.

I use the down time to change out of my hairy uniform and straighten my hair back into a bun, glancing into the mirror to look at the dark bruises forming quickly around my neck. _Jeez he really was trying to kill me back there. Who would have thought Gon's friend would be a total nut-case. Thank god for the universal weakness of all males._ All too soon the bell on the counter dings. _Ugh… I'm not ready to show my face back out there._ Hesitantly I make another appearance behind the counter and plaster on my fake customer service smile.

"Have you decided what you'd like?" I say sweetly.

This time it is Miss Neon who speaks up. "I want to buy everything."

I stare at her dumbfounded. "E-Everything?" I feel myself getting lightheaded from excitement and then darkness sucking at the corners of my consciousness; before fainting and hitting the ground hard. Dalzollene looks alarmed before jumping behind the counter and dragging my body to one of the booths to lay me down in it.

"What exactly happened?" Dalzollene looks to his subordinates hoping they have an explanation or saw something he missed.

"She just fainted on us Dalzollene; you think maybe Kurapika attacking her had something to do with this?" Basho says. All eyes fall on Kurapika who still seems to be recovering from the mention of the Phantom Troupe.

"Ughh… What happened? Why are you all staring at me like that?" Kurapika looks from his co-workers to Kailani lying passed out in the booth. "What's wrong with her?" He motions at my unresponsive body.

"You don't remember anything?" Basho says raising a thick, bushy eyebrow. "You just randomly attacked and started to choke her. She kicked you in the family jewels to get away and escaped into the back of the store. When she came back out she just collapsed. That gal plays dirty." Basho chuckles at the confusion evident on Kurapika's face.

"The bruises around her neck formed really quickly and they look bad. Did you by any chance use nen on her Kurapika?" Dalzollene asks. _She doesn't have much of an aura even for a regular human. Could she possibly be in Zetsu? That would explain why she took so much damage._ He quietly contemplates to himself.

Neon huffs that all the attention isn't focused on her. She sneaks away unnoticed to the back of the store and grabs a bucket and fills it with water before walking to where I am passed out. She dumps the bucket of cold water on top of my face startling me awake.

She then hands the bucket to Dalzollene daring him to challenge her before slinking off to another part of the store, allowing Dalzollene to take the blame.

Gasping for air and shivering at the sudden chill I look up blearily at a figure standing nearby. I blink the water out of my eyes finding the figure to be Dalzollene holding a bucket. _Why the hell am I soaking wet?_

"Why the fuck did you dump water on me Dalzollene!?" I try to sound angry and affronted, but it comes out tired and pathetic sounding, completely embarrassing.

"I-uh" Dalzollene clears his throat clearly at a loss for words. "I… was worried when you suddenly collapsed and wouldn't wake up. I thought a shock to your system might wake you up?" He says sheepishly.

"Yeah… ok sure, whatever you say. It'll be 60,000 jenny for all the baked goods in the store. Just take it all and go, you lot are worth more trouble than it's worth to accurately price everything out." I say tiredly, waving towards the display case and register before making shooing motions. Unfortunately, nobody makes any moves to leave. I groan in frustration. The bell on the door jingles yet again and a small, balding man steps into the store?

"I'm sorry, but the store is closed, this group just bought out the store. I will have more pastries tomorrow if you could please come back then." I raise my voice to be heard.

"It's okay; I'm not a customer I am with this group." A soft spoken feminine voice comes from the new person. _Ah shit I totally called that woman a guy, should I apologize? I should turn the sign to closed so I don't get any more guests._

Struggling to get up I make my way over to the door, shuffling my feet so as to not lose my balance. I make it to the door and flip the sign from open to closed, failing to notice a figure lurking in the shadows. I lean against the door briefly fighting down the wave of dizziness before heading behind the counter to start bagging up all the food. Kurapika goes behind the counter to help, but I kick him out. I don't want anything to do with him after he tried to kill me. Dalzollene also tries to do the same but I shoo him out as well. Finally finished packing everything up, I drag my body over to where Neon is at and sit down.

"Do you always have to put up with these overprotective bastards?" I wince looking up at Neon tiredly from where I am resting on the booth bench. She looks at me surprised her sulking behavior completely forgotten.

"My bodyguards? Mmmm… yeah. They never let me do anything fun. Dalzollene is especially over-protective. He treats me like I am a china doll that could break just by being looked at. He's also such a brown-nose."

"Daddy lets me have everything I can possibly want, but it doesn't really make me all that happy. I just pretend that it does. He doesn't even care that I like to collect human body parts, even though it disturbs him he doesn't say no to me. He does whatever he can to make sure I make money for him."

I stare at her blinking, confused. She doesn't look like she's old enough to even be able to legally work.

"I can see you're confused. I tell fortunes. For some reason, people really like them. It irritates me having to do so many though."

"Fortunes, you mean like horoscopes and other garbage that don't work?" I say not believing her. She must have some other way of making money.

"How rude! I'll have you know my fortunes are very accurate. The Ten Dons are big fans of mine, and everyone says I am always right." She brags.

"I don't know… didn't that one lady on tv, what was her name… Galaxy Granny? Starry Matriarch? Uhhh Gargantuan Nana?"

"You mean Galactic Matron?" Neon says.

"Yeah, her!" I say snapping my fingers. "Wasn't she arrested for being a big fraud? It sounds questionable to me." I say shrugging my shoulders and not taking Neon seriously."

"Well, unlike her I'm actually right." Neon says proudly her nose growing long and pointy.

"Uh… if you say so." I say trying to drop the subject.

"I can tell you don't believe me so I'll prove it to you. Write down your full name, birthday and blood type." Neon says shoving a piece of paper in my face and an expensive pen at me.

"Uh… if you insist. But I don't have a last name." I scratch out the few details I know about myself and push the paper back towards her.

"Let's see… your name is Kailani, Birthday September 13th, 1974. Blood type AB. That's a very unusual blood type. Why don't you know your last name?" Neon says glancing at the paper, before holding the pen in her right hand.

"Erm… I'd prefer not to answer if I don't have to, is that okay?" I shift uneasy about this whole thing.

Neon's hand starts to move in jerky movements almost as if her hand were being tugged around on puppet strings. Her gaze turns distant and out of touch with her surroundings. Despite not having my nen I can feel a presence lingering over her right shoulder. It sends chills down my spine. There's something supernatural about the whole event, but it's over quickly after it started. Neon hands me back the paper and smiles at me expectantly.

"My poems are usually 4 or 5 quatrains of four lines each. Each quatrain refers to something happening in a months' time. The first quatrain may have already happened though." Neon says. I stare at her like she's speaking another language. _Quatrains, verse? Months? What the hell is she talking about?_

"For you uncultured people, a quatrain is a stanza of four lines, especially one having alternate rhymes. A stanza is a grouped set of lines within a poem. You _DO_ know what a poem is right?"

"Of course I know what a poem is." I grumble and turn my focus to the piece of paper crumpled in my hand.

* * *

 _You try to keep out of sight._

 _The bands that mark you as enslaved_

 _Staying away from light,_

 _Hiding the fact you are already depraved._

 _New faces from across the ocean._

 _Old friends from a distant life._

 _Bring about much commotion,_

 _and unwanted memories from a knife._

 _Forgotten memories plague your slumber,_

 _Midnight dreams stained the color of red will last._

 _Don't join hands with the unlucky number._

 _Otherwise, they will uncover your painful past._

 _A band of thieves shall cut the Mafia's fattest purse._

 _A consolation prize will be the capture of your curse._

 _Through you, the mighty moon of frost,_

 _Amongst his band of bloody brethren shall not be lost._

Betraying the unlucky number to help a friend

At the last minute they will be saved.

Your actions will meanwhile be condemned

A punishment will not be waived.

* * *

My eyebrows lift as I continue to read the poem getting progressively creeped out. _How the hell does she know about my curse and THAT._ I eye her suspiciously. _She can't possibly have seen the marks on my wrists or overheard my conversation with Kurapika. Unlucky number? That refers to 13 but that's always been a good number for me. Why else would it also be known as a baker's dozen? But the rest of this poem doesn't make much sense except, someone is going to rob the auction and succeed._

"Uh, Neon what does this part of the poem mean?" I point at the second to last quatrain.

"Sorry, but I don't read my fortunes. I feel like that would make them less accurate and bring bad luck to me and the person who got the fortune told." She says hastily, putting her hands up to reject the piece of paper.

"But…" I plead with her concerned at the first line.

"Lalalaaaa I can't hear you!" Neon walks away with her hands over her ears, telling Dalzollene it's time to leave.

"Well damn…" _I should tell Dalzollene, or at least that part about the auction being robbed. But his fucking minion tried to kill me_ …. I think out of spite _. I want to keep Gon and Killua safe, but they promised me they would leave. I also told Kurapika to keep an eye out for them. I guess it is okay to keep this to myself._ I chew on my lip conflicted. _It's best I just keep this quiet. Not like anyone I know will end up getting hurt anyway._

I see them to the door, watching amused as Kurapika tries to juggle the multiple boxes and bags of baked goods in his arms. I hope he trips on the uneven pavement outside.I take the piece of paper Neon gave me, balling it up and tossing it into a garbage can, just outside the door, where it belongs. I don't believe in this shit anyway and nothing bad is going to happen to me. Glancing at the clock and my soggy uniform I lock up the shop and head home for the time being for a change of clothes.

The hidden figure in the alley looks at the trashcan, to me, and the receding figure of Neon and her bodyguards before vanishing.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **It took me way longer than I care to admit to write that little poem. I hope it turned out okay. It's too hard to make it ambiguous enough but rhyme like Neon's.**

 **I hope Neon and Kurapika weren't too OOC in this chapter. I feel like Neon needed to be more than just the one dimensional character she's portrayed as in the manga, so I fleshed her out a little more than she was originally. I'm not a Kurapika hater, but it is fun to mess with him. :D ✨**


	6. The Troupe Arrives

**Chapter 6: The Troupe Arrives**

 **Content Warning: Language, Gore, Kidnapping, Murder**

* * *

 **August 31st Late at night**

I worked late into the night and preceding early morning rushing to fill the large catering order for the 180th Anniversary of Tiffany and Co. They had ordered a rather extravagant cake in celebration of opening their doors. They had ordered a 5 tiered cake done in burgundy icing with white lacework piping, white fondant bows and for it to be dripping with Swarovski crystals and blinged out to the max. Standing on a ladder I finished laying down the last ribbon coated in the sparkling crystals and attached the final fondant bow before piping on the 'Celebrating 180 Years' and the Tiffany logo onto the top of the cake. It was a work of art and sure to be a show stopping piece.

The only problem was the now raging thunderstorm that started late last night. I winced as Lightning sparked garishly across the sky, before being hidden behind the skyscrapers surrounding the store, casting odd shadows across the ground. My eyes land on the garbage bags that are piled up in a corner of the store. _Ugh… why couldn't I have taken the garbage out yesterday when it was warm and sunny out?_ I think to myself. Trying to kill some time and hoping for the storm to let up some I wander over to the coffee maker and make a cup of fresh coffee dumping in a ton of sugar and cream for a pick me up after pulling an all-nighter. I can feel bags forming under my eyes and my vision starting to blur some. After finishing the cup and killing time for 10 more minutes I finally gave up after the storm showed no signs of slowing down. _I guess I get a free shower before going home for a few hours of sleep._

* * *

 **September 1st, early morning 3:48 AM**

It's pouring outside and the street lights only cast light 5 feet from the source. The surrounding buildings cast dark shadows into the night. I go out to the back to take out the garbage, cursing when my uniform gets soaked and the flour on my apron turns into goo. I liked watching the rain, just not being in it as much. As I walk closer to the garbage dumpster; lightning arcs across the sky illuminating what appear to be 7 shadows. Thinking it's those damn raccoons getting into the garbage again, I sneak around to catch the little bastards in the act. Using stealth, perfected through hard work and agony of stalking animals and the environment in which I grew up, I slip around the corner next to the posh jewelry store Tiffany and Co. Lighting splashes against the sky once more, temporarily blinding me and assaulting my nose with the smell of ozone. I realize the shadows are too big to be raccoons, more like people sized. Glaring through the rain over my fogged up glasses; I can see they are talking quietly. I creep closer to try make out their conversation from the pouring of the rain. _Now what would a bunch of people be doing lurking, in an alley at 4 AM in the middle of a downpour for?_ I catch pieces of what a tall guy in a dark furred coat says in a smooth, deep voice to the rest of the group.

"Gr.b eve…ing… the j.. … ki.l … No..u..ga….M.c.i… s..th.… no s..vi...s"

I'm not able to make out more than what he is saying, but I think he has a very alluring voice. I try to imagine what he must look like. Trying to walk closer to get a look at the voice's face, the rain muffles my footsteps. I realize the people are planning on robbing the jewelry store. I look at the rest of the group; trying to see their faces so I can describe them to the police. There's a short guy in what appears to be all black standing next to the tall guy in the furred coat, but it's hard to tell because the rain has soaked everything and my fatigue has made my vision somewhat blurry. A girl with soggy, bright pink hair speaks up. However, it comes out unintelligible. All I can hear is the word "Danchō".

A tall muscled guy with blond hair and no eyebrows in a green tracksuit stands alongside a shorter blond male, who looks younger. The young blond has the glow of a cellphone he's holding reflect off of his green eyes. There's a tall, skinny man with a scruffy looking face scowling at the rest of the group. His dark hair is pulled into a high ponytail that is tied tightly with white bandages. The hairdo makes it look like he has a little palm-tree resting on top of his skull. He appears to be cosplaying as a Samurai. He is dressed in a soaking wet blueish-black Japanese robe. He has bandages wrapped around his calves and abdomen with a pair of shorts covering his legs, brown bamboo sandals are on his feet. There are 2 katana tied around his white obi sash on his left hip, with the handle wrapped in white bandages and kept in a dark colored sheath. Finally, I notice another girl with short, layered black hair wearing large, black framed glasses. She is wearing a black turtleneck sweater and a pair of denim skinny jeans. On her feet is a pair of green loafers. She has a gold necklace with an inverted cross pendant as the focal point around her neck. In her hand appears to be…

"A Vacuum…?" I whisper. I suddenly clamp my hands over my mouth realizing that I've spoken out loud.

 _Shit… shit, shit…_

I slowly back away from the group, hoping the rain drowned out my voice. Looking away from them, I try to find a way to escape without drawing their attention. Glancing back like the idiot I am, I notice there are only 6 people instead of 7. Suddenly, I crash into a solid object with a loud Oomph! Then, I feel cold metal, biting into my neck and a deadly voice next to my right ear.

"Well, well, well… what do we have here? It seems there's a little birdy spying on us." Says the smooth, deep voice I heard earlier, belonging to the tall man in the black leather and white furred cloak. I look up into slate-grey eyes that appear slightly sunken into his skull. They shine with razor sharp intelligence and curiosity. He has a very handsome face and, if I wasn't in a life or death situation, my face would be blushing. His skin is a flawless ivory, as pale as mine. He has a small-boned, delicate nose. Raven black, layered hair is slicked off of his forehead using gel, revealing a strange plus-shaped tattoo in the middle of it. My eyes are drawn to blue orb earrings attached to each earlobe that catch the poor lighting. I realize that my life hangs on a very thin thread, depending on the mood he is in. It's best to cooperate.

He pushes me back to the rest of the group who look at me with various assessing eyes. The shorty in all black licks his lips and stares at me with sick, slightly psychotic eyes. I can tell he's not thinking anything pleasant. The tall blond is eyeing me like a piece of meat he wants, and I stiffen noticing the lust in his eyes. The pink haired girl is hard to read; her eyes are assessing but give nothing else away. The shorter blond glances in my direction and then proceeds to ignore me. Choosing to fiddle with his phone and a few robots, which he sends under the door of the jewelry store. The tall samurai guy scratches his arm irritated and complains about the rain. The girl with glasses stares at me confused, tilting her head to the side and speaks to the man behind myself.

"Danchō, where did you get that other girl? I thought it was only the 7 of us tonight?"

"Hey Danchō where did you get the girl from? Should we kill her now that she's discovered us?" The guy in all black looks excited at this prospect and I hear him muttering under his breath about fingernails and pliers.

"No." Replies the man everyone calls 'Danchō'. I breathe a sigh of relief but then stiffen at his next words.

"I think I will keep her, this _pet bird_ of mine interests me. She was able to sneak up on us without anyone noticing." He turns towards the pink haired girl.

"Machi please tie up our _guest_ so she stays out of trouble."

The pink haired girl called Machi does something weird with her hands. I can feel myself being tied up. My hands are pressed behind my back and arms pinned to the sides. Thankfully, I feel the cold knife being removed from my throat. However, the temporary relief is gone when the man shoves me roughly into the wet pavement, where Machi then ties my knees together so I can't run. She then sticks a rag in my mouth so I won't create noise that could draw attention. I think it's kind of pointless considering the rain and the thunder drowns out just about everything past 10 feet, and the alleyway is abandoned. The short haired blond with the phone speaks up.

"Hey Danchō, I disabled the security system like you asked, but maybe we should stop since we've been found out? Who knows who else saw, or who she told?" He says pointing at me accusingly. The rest of the group mutters agreeing with the techie.

"It's too risky." One of them mumbles.

The man I only know as 'Danchō' steps around me and into the group; speaking in a raised voice that immediately claims attention and respect from the others. Even I sit up straighter my attention becoming riveted to him, which doesn't go unnoticed by him.

"We will continue with the plan for tonight, nothing has changed. I will have Pakunoda look at her memories when we get back. Even if someone else saw, or she called the police there is nothing they can do to stop us. " The man says cockily.

Watching as they open the back door to Tiffany's I wonder how I got into this situation and what they are going to do with me. _Oh hell… I left the oven on, that bread is going to be over-proofed_. I shake my head in disbelief, my priorities totally fucked up. I should be worried about my impending death, not baked goods. _Gosh Kai, don't you know curiosity killed the cat? Why can't I just leave things the fuck alone and keep my damn trap shut?_ _I hope I won't end up in the hands of the guy in all black. Then again, avoiding death is a good idea as well_.

The Phantom Troupe promptly invades the jewelry store. Phinks smashes all the glass display cases and Shizuku starts to suck up everything in her vacuum cleaner Blinky. Nobunaga stands guard using his En to make sure no one is able to slip past or approach. Feitan slashes at the guards' stomachs pulling their entrails out and coating the room in a shower of blood and their agonized screams, smiling gleefully. Chrollo slowly strolls among the chaos to admire the items on display around the store. The diamonds, sapphires and silver all sparkle under the dim lighting, while wonderful works of art hang on the mahogany paneled walls. He notices a particular brooch in the shape of a bird, encrusted in yellow and white diamonds set in gold, standing on top of a large yellow diamond. Chrollo's eyes light up at the sheer size of the diamond. _It must be at least 100 carats._ He thinks to himself. _It also reminds me of a certain little birdy outside._ Smiling he picks up the brooch and pockets it.

Walking up to Machi who is currently working on the safe, he asks if they found what he wanted. She nods her head and points to the back office where he finds the antique book he has been looking for on the shelf. It reads _Famous Gems and Jewels of the World and their Owners,_ thumbing through the book before pocketing it. He turns back to Machi who has cracked the safe and has Shizuku vacuum the contents out which includes billions of jenny and records of previous clients and their purchases. Within minutes, the place has been stripped clean of all valuables; while blood mars the white carpet and the bodies that are littered here and there. A few of them are missing their fingernails. The phantom troupe retreats with their bounty. Chrollo picks up his 'pet', knocking me unconscious before he and his troupe walk calmly away from the crime scene.

* * *

 **An unspecified amount of time later**

 _Ugh… I groan. I feel sick and my head's all dizzy. What the hell happened?_ I try to say, but it comes out totally muffled. Completely unaware of my surroundings I clutch at my head, but can't, and then I realize there's warmth on my stomach. I'm tossed over someone's shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

 _What the hell!? Who's carrying me, and why are my arms tied behind my back?!_ "Mmmh mhppmh mpp hmmp." I try to kick the person carrying me to escape.

"I suggest you stop doing that before I drop you." A deep voice says, coming from over my right shoulder. I try to eye the distance to the ground but my vision is swimming, nothing makes sense.

"I am surprised you woke up so fast. Normally, a person would be out for several days. You are an interesting pet like I thought." He continues.

 _Pet? What the hell is he talking about?_ I try to rub my head, I feel like I have a concussion. Considering the nausea, migraine, blurred vision and the molasses like speed my brain is moving at, I more than likely do. My memory finally engages but, it's painful to recall. _I was at the bakery, taking out the garbage and … I saw some burglars? A knife._ I try to rub my neck remembering the feeling of cold steel biting flesh, then freeze when I realize I've been kidnapped. I slowly turn my head to get a look at who was carrying me, slate grey eyes boring blankly into my own. I don't recognize the face.

"Mhmmp mhm mmmh?" I try to ask who he is questioningly.

"Hmm?" He raises an eyebrow in question at me.

I nod my head at him and try to ask my question again. "Hmm mmm hhm?"

"Ah… I see no harm in telling you who I am. Considering your chance of escape is zero. My name is Chrollo Lucilfer. You perhaps may know me better as the leader of the Phantom Troupe." He tugs the gag out of my mouth. I open and close my mouth trying to get the disgusting taste out of it. What he said not registering with my concussed head.

He looks at me. Surprise in his eyes that I haven't reacted the way he expected.

"What?" I look at him confused. "Is there something on my face?"

"You aren't terrified of me? You do know about the Phantom Troupe, right?"

"Phantom Troupe…?" I appear lost in thought before turning into a frozen icicle, staring into his emotionless eyes in terror. He smirks, finally satisfied that I have reacted the way he expected.

"Kill me now…!" I moan half-hysterically.

"That can be arranged. Feitan come here." Chrollo says amused. The shorty in all black, whose name is apparently Feitan, appears. His gloomy black hair is long enough to brush his shoulders, but it sticks out in random spikes framing his face. He has a white skull on a black bandanna tied around his face obscuring everything from view but his cold, cruel dark grey eyes, which light up in excitement when he sees me.

"Sorry, Sorry! I didn't mean that! Please don't kill me." I whimper and beg trying to curl into a small ball.

"Very well." Chrollo resumes. "Feitan, you are no longer needed. Go bring Pakunoda here. I wish for her to take a look at my guest.

"Che… no fun…" Feitan pouts before disappearing in a flash to do as Chrollo commanded. Chrollo then proceeds to unceremoniously dump me onto a pile of rubble.

"Ouch…" Finally no longer moving, I look around and realize that I'm not in downtown Yorknew anymore, but inside some abandoned building. The windows are smashed out, the mid-morning light seeping through. There are numerous piles of rubble, broken support pillars and what looks like graffiti painted on the crumbling walls. Lace-like cobwebs hang in corners adding class to the otherwise dismal ambiance. It's hard to make out any more detail my vision still blurred. What I can't see I can make up for in smell. The place reeks like garbage and death, with a touch of mildew and dust thrown in.

"Great… My uniform is soaked, this place is a mess and it reminds me too much of my ho…." I mumble to myself, temporarily forgetting that Chrollo is standing next to me.

Fuck, I almost blurted out my past. Lifting my nervous eyes up to Chrollo's face, I try to appear nonchalant. His face reveals nothing. I dart my eyes away quickly and whistle a random tune pretending to be lost in my thoughts. God I hope he doesn't realize what I almost said.

Trying to distract myself again, I look around more slowly and notice that there are more people than the group that originally kidnapped me. There are 13 people in all, including Chrollo. I spot a creepy red haired clown looking at me and licking his lips like he's a starving man spotting a MacDon's. He winks at me and I feel a shiver go down my spine and an overwhelming urge to puke. I get the feeling that a shark just spotted an injured prey.

I avert my eyes to the right and I can't miss the enormous male who has muscles on top of muscles wearing nothing but an animal skin vest on top and athletic shorts. He has wild, untamed muddy-grey colored hair that end in spikes with sideburns going down each side of his face. His skin is a dark tan and hair covers his broad chest and arms. He has an impressive looking six pack, and there isn't a scrap of excess fat anywhere on his body. He looks like he stepped out of a prehistoric exhibit, looking savage and uncivilized. A large wooden club would look at home in his hands. He screams masculinity and has a confident smirk that I like. God of all the times to get fucking horny. The samurai cosplayer from earlier is chatting with him animatedly while they both drink beer.

The girl with the glasses is by herself staring off into space. The no-eyebrows guy is talking to the techie over some beer while playing cards with one another. In another group the pink haired girl is talking with a busty blond, the short guy in all black approaches the group to talk with the blonde.

Rapidly turning my head away, I look at a group of 3 people sitting together each of them being more freakish than the next. I spot a small man wearing a faded teal long-sleeve smock with a pair of sea-foam colored slacks peeking out underneath. His head is completely covered in long blue-grey hair that completely hides his face only showing a single glowing blue eyeball. I try not to snicker but fail. The tiny person brings to mind a certain seaweed monster from a popular shonen anime about a bald superhero. Chrollo looks at me with a raised eyebrow silently demanding an explanation. I mutter about remembering something funny from a tv show. Next to the small person I stare at a living mummy?

Instead of being dead, this mummy likes to box…? He is covered head to toe in white papyrus bandages with only small hints of his eyes and nose being exposed. He has on a pair of brown shorts with a black belt holding them up. On his hands is a pair of bright red boxing gloves. He is wearing a pair of reddish-brown lace up knee-high boots on his feet. Finally, there is a large man who looks like he stepped out of Mary Shelley's novel _Frankenstein_. He's not as large as the caveman but he is more grotesque looking. Multiple parallel scars mar his face, a few going across the bridge of his nose. There are just as many stitches on it as well as if the doctor forgot to pull them out. He is wearing a large pair of dark blue denim overalls with a large pocket in the front, keeping a white jacket over top. He has large beefy fists that look like they could pound me into a puddle of goo. For some strange reason or another, his earlobes are ridiculously stretched, extending past his clavicle and pierced at the end with solid gold hoop earrings.

"Okay… looks like the Phantom Troupe really is full of monsters." I chuckle nervously to myself, hiding behind my humor and sarcasm whenever I get scared. Right now I am absolutely fucking terrified. I look around hoping to see Dracula pop up somewhere. No such luck. Chrollo having caught where my eyes were and the comment I made, smirks silently, having figured out where my train of thought went.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but we lack a vampire at this time. Although, Hisoka does come close in terms of sheer bloodlust."

My eyes round slightly realizing that he must have read my mind. I turn away creeped out, hoping to block this whole place out and wake up from the horrible dream I am having. Chanting the mantra _'There's no place like home, there's no place like home.'_ in my head.

Instead of warping back to my bedroom, that Feitan guy is back with a rather busty, blond haired woman; her chest makes my DDD cup feel insignificant. She has a large nose that I can't stop from gawking rudely at; it's curved like a bird's beak. Averting my eyes, I look up at Chrollo for an explanation. He ignores me instead choosing to smile at the new woman.

"Pakunoda." Chrollo says to the woman. "I have something I would like to ask of you."

"Of course Danchō, but may I ask what's with the hostage?" She glares down at me like I am an insignificant bug. I feel like one considering I'm trapped in the Spider's lair. Being tied up and soaking wet from the rain only completes the picture. Sneezing, I hope that I'm not catching my death in this place, in more ways than one.

"She's actually why I asked for you. This little song bird, stumbled upon us while we were out doing our job. She managed to sneak up on us without anyone noticing. I want to know if she contacted anyone such as the police. She woke up rather quickly after I knocked her unconscious. I am rather curious as to why that is." He grabs my wet hair forcing me to meet his eyes.

"You will speak truthfully to Pakunoda right my little _pet?_ We have other ways of making people… sing…" He smiles darkly and I know he is talking about Feitan. Pakunoda places her hand on my shoulder and I jerk as I feel someone trying to gain access to my brain.

"I can't read her boss. Something is putting a barrier up around her memories." Pakunoda says frustrated her face turning into a scowl.

Not wanting them to kill me because they can't get what they want through Pakunoda, and I'd rather not let Feitan have his hands on me I decide to tell them instead.

"My names Kailani, I don't have a last name. I'm 25 and don't belong anywhere. I have no family to speak of. I'm afraid that mind-reading won't work on me, it's a side effect of curse I'm under." There's no need to mention the tattoos on my wrists, or how I got them. I bite my lip hoping I didn't just sign my death certificate. Chrollo signals for Pakunoda to stop and for me to continue.

"In exchange for having some of my memories blocked, my nen is sealed. That's the reason you guys couldn't sense me. I'm stuck in a permanent state of Zetsu. I don't have much presence to begin with, I've learned how to make myself disappear, and the Zetsu just makes it worse. Only the person who cursed me can remove it. I didn't call the cops on you. It was just me. I work in a pastry shop nearby and was taking out the garbage. I thought you were a bunch of raccoons planning on robbing the dumpster, so I snuck up on you." I say embarrassed my cheeks a blazing red.

"Why I woke up so quickly after being knocked out…. uhmm… well… where I grew up from, being unaware of your surroundings meant death. Force of habit, I can't do much about that I am afraid. You'll just have to hit me harder next time, or drug me or something."

"I know you are holding back. I suggest you say it, otherwise Feitan will be the one to get what I need out of you." Chrollo states blandly.

I look at him pleadingly, but his face lacks compassion. Hanging my head in defeat I finally say the words I've been dreading.

"I'm originally from Meteor City." I shudder as another massive migraine hits and memories threaten to spill out from my subconscious.

Fighting with others over morsels of moldy food. Scavenging the mountains of garbage that make up Meteor City. Trying to find anything useful to survive. The hunger and fear gnawing away constantly at my consciousness. My aura being forcibly opened due to a cruel prank and then being left to die. How I struggled to keep my life from seeping through my hands like water through sand. Mastering ten to keep myself from dying and then zetsu to make sure I never got ambushed again. Using my newfound skills to hunt down food and learning how to cook it. Blood staining everything… red. So much blood…. My slow crawl out of the hell-hole that is Meteor City. Then, setting off down the road for a new path to life.

"I see." Chrollo remarks closing his eyes. "So, you are from Meteor City just like us, how surprising." He utters not impressed in the least.

"Pakunoda, get some dry clothes and feed her. Don't bother untying her, I don't want her escaping." With that, he leaves to go greet the other 11 Troupe members.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **So sorry for the long hiatus, it wasn't on purpose I swear!**

 **Most of this chapter was actually among the first things I wrote when I originally started this story. It's been written for more than half a year, albeit, incomplete and in chunks. I kept being unsatisfied with this chapter and kept rewriting it, eventually giving up and shelving it to take a break, then my muses kinda died.**

 **For those curious to the reference: Kortopi reminds me of the Seaweed monster that Saitama fights in One Punch Man. If you haven't seen the anime I suggest watching it. It's pretty funny.**

 **I thought it was interesting that the Troupe when you think about it has some characters that are like they walked out of a horror novel or B rated sci-fi film. We have Frankenstein obviously but Bonolenov looks like a mummy and Kortopi is like the monster from the lagoon, or a seaweed monster. Hisoka kind of works since he is always craving to shed the blood of his enemies.**


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